The Sinful Dreamers
by Edelin
Summary: AU Every ten years a war takes place between ten mages in order for them to fulfill their deepest desires. In order to do that, they summon each one a warrior. Yaoi Cloud/Squall Squall/Seifer past On Hiatius
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Hi! Well... how should I start? I guess I should just get straight to the point. This fanfic wasn't originally going to be a yaoi one so the protagonist is a girl but the couple that makes the whole story interesting is basically Squalll and Cloud. So you will see a lot of Roxas/Namine for half of it but it will not progress. This was an experiment of mine and I just thought I should give it a shot and publish it. I think that it was a respectable work and I would like everyone to tell me what they think. If it sucks, I will just delete it. By the way there will be a lot of violence so if you don't like it, maybe you should move to another story.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Everything rightfully belongs to Square Enix

* * *

The Beginning Of The Cursed Fate

Late at night, a young woman walked slowly towards the hidden area inside Dalmasca's manor garden. Her eyes showed her determination to fulfill whatever she desired. She walked through some trees and jumped the rocks that were on the way. As soon as she was on the ground she was under the full moon's light, revealing her clothes. She wore a black coat that hid most of her other clothes, except for the black boots she was wearing and a part of her legs. Her beautiful face had a strong expression of arrogance and powers, making her look creepy. She paced in the middle of the area and a magical circle appeared on the ground. The circle was a pale yellow one with some strange symbols at the end of the circle. Below them, there were some ideograms of the special magic the Dalmasca family controlled. She raised her hands and looked at the moon with the cold look of resolve that ten years ago someone of her family had when doing the same thing she was about to do.

'Power of the bleeding night that the Dalmasca family has held for centuries now, I, Ashelia, call forth the Lion of Thunder to appear before me and obey my orders. Under the purity of my blood I shall make a contract with you to become my servant for this war that you are destined to fight every ten years. Release the power!' she said commandingly.

A strong wind blew, bringing clouds that hid the moon and its light; thunderclaps sounded and a strong bolt of lightning fell right in front of the mage. When the light from the crash disappeared, a young man with brown hair that fell in front of his face was kneeling, looking straight at the ground. He was garbed in a long black coat and a pendant with the head of a lion was hanging from his neck.

Ashe marched towards him, touched his face with her hand and made him look at her. He had a scar on his forehead which was emphasized because of his closed eyes.

'Open your eyes,' she commanded, 'Squall Leonheart, Lion of Thunder', and the man's eyes responded on that name. They had the colour of grey-blue and could easily be described as stormy, fitting for the warrior that had the powers of Thunder.

The circle on the ground slowly vanished and the moon appeared again. Squall looked with an emotionless expression at his current master, having met so many and having seen so many die. This meeting meant nothing more than just a repeated action in his routine every ten years.

'Are you the one that summoned me to obey her in order to win this decade's war?' he asked typically as he always did.

'Yes, I am Ashelia Dalmasca.'

'At your service, my lady,' the man replied and looked again the ground. After a moment as Ashe gazed at him and he looked at the ground, she turned her back and walked away proudly. He got up and followed silently. They ambled towards the main mansion and Ashe lead them through the main hall and afterwards turned to the right and opened a door with a key. She opened it and they went up a narrow stairway and reached something like a small apartment. Ashe marched towards her bedroom.

'Close the door' she ordered and he obeyed. With her back still turned to him, she added, 'This is my personal chamber and from now on, 'til the end of the war, it will also be the place where you will stay to rest.'

'Yes, mistress.'

'You are not allowed to walk in the house without my permission nor to go away of your own free will,' she said and looked at the man. 'Not that objects have will,' she said and smiled cruelly.

Squall, used to this treatment, especially from the many previous mistresses of the Dalmasca family that had summoned him before, didn't react and didn't care.

'Also,' she continued, looking at him, 'you do not have any rights while you have responsibilities, which are my orders.'

_She really is like all the previous Dalmascas. _

Squall stood there waiting for her to order something. Because of the previous Dalmascas he had met, he was sure that his girl, like her ancestors, would use him not only as a warrior but also as a personal slave, having the right to do whatever she wanted to him.

* * *

At the other side of the town, in the large hall that existed under the Lockharts' house, another mage equally strong to Ashe walked proudly with a calm look full of certainty for herself and for her abilities, not feeling a bit of hesitasion. She had long black hair and was wearing a black short shirt, which left part of her stomach exposed, and black jeans. She went to the middle of the area and a magical circle, different from Ashe's, appeared beneath her. This one was green and unlike Ashe's didn't have ideograms or symbols on it. It had strange designs that looked like a plant with no flowers.

'In the name of the holy family of Lockhart, power of Mother Earth, the one that rules the world.' The circle slowly went up until it was around her waist. It closed in on her waist. 'Lend me your strength so I, Tifa, one of the mages blessed with your powers, will be able to hold under my orders the Cross of Creation.' The circle suddenly had a strong light and expanded to its previous size shining brightly. 'Show the mark and be born from it!'

A large black cross appeared in front of her and shone while feathers started falling. Tifa closed her eyes due to the light, and, after a second, the light disappeared and she saw a young man with blond hair, wearing a white shirt with a collar and a black cross on the back and a black pair of trousers. The man was also kneeling and looking at the floor like the brown-haired one.

'Are you Seifer Almasy, the Cross of Creation?' Tifa asked and walked towards him until she was in front of him. She didn't make any move, just stayed there and stared at the man, waiting for his response.

'Yes, I am,' he said and raised his head, 'the Cross of Creation.' He had green eyes that Tifa immediately liked…

_Not only strong but handsome… I guess I'll enjoy this._

'Follow me then,' she said, and she turned her back with the man following two steps behind. She walked into the house and went to her chambers.

'Close the door,' she ordered and she lay on her bed. 'Well, this is the place where you will rest. You have the right to sleep wherever you want, sometimes even on my bed,' she said and looked at him, who had a look that showed he didn't care but he'd obey.

'You shouldn't walk in the house without asking me and I'll be the one that will take care of your personal needs,' she said, and touched her neck.

'Yes ma'am, as you say,' he answered with no emotion .

_Like I've never met people like you… Lockharts… _and he hid an expression of apathy.

'You will call me Miss Tifa and on some occasions perhaps even just Tifa,' she said and got up, walking towards him. She touched his cheek and then went a step back. 'But you need my permission for that.'

'Yes, Miss Tifa,' he said, just looking staright ahead. He had been in the same room so many times through the centuries. The Lockharts had the habit of giving this room, with the view of the twilight, to the daughter destined to be a mistress. Unlike the Dalmascas or other families that always took part in the war, they had prepared that specific room and raised all those mages in the same way. As a result, most were the same kind of people. He quickly glanced at her before staring away again.

_And this one is no different. Even her appearance is similar to the previous ones…_

Tifa stared at the window until she fall asleep… She had done it. She had called the warrior she wanted.

* * *

A young girl with black hair was sitting on the ground at the ruins of an ancient temple. She was wearing a black skirt and light blue shirt. Her hands were holding her waist and through her eyes anyone could figure the pain and the loneliness she felt.

She looked at the sky that this night seemed to have more and brighter stars. The weather was cold. It was like her powers expressed the psychological mess she felt.

_Flashback _

'_I don't want to be involved in this!' the girl protested._

'_Rinoa, whether you want it or not, you have to! It is your destiny! If you don't, another mage will order her warrior to come and kill you before you have the warrior. If you don't die, the wish will not come true.'_

'_So there are two possible ways for this to end: I die or I win' she stated and the man nodded. Rinoa turned her back and sighed._

'_I am really sorry that you have to go through this, but please summon a warrior and try to survive…' her father said and touched her shoulder._

'_She did it and she is dead,' Rinoa said. Her father's hand squeezed her shoulder._

'_Yes…she did it but she was too late… She didn't hear my warnings and she summoned late, so the warrior that was left was weak compared to the others and she surrendered from the beginning.' The man hugged her from the shoulders._

'_So it is pointless…' _

'_No… There have been only two summonings 'til now… Go and do it! Please… I've already lost a sister and a daughter, I can't lose you too.' _

_Rinoa stayed silent and then walked away, leaving the warm embrace of her father._

'_I'll do it!' she said as she was at the door and stopped for a second. 'Tonight.'_

_End Flashback_

'It's time,' she thought.

She got up and with tears in her eyes she raised her hands.

'I am a decendant of the Heartilly clan and I have come to this place for one and only purpose. Please, ancient forces, release the ice of my heart and bring for one more time into this world the one most suited for me to help my wish reach reality.'

From her feet a circle of ice grew until all the ruins were covered with thin ice. Rinoa's hot tears fell on the ice. Ice appeared from the ground and inside a man with silver hair wearing a grey pair of trousers and a white shirt without sleeves was sealed. The boy had his eyes closed.

Rinoa felt that she had to try a little harder to complete the summoning. She touched her heart and looked at the boy.

_Release the ice of my heart._

And the ice broke. The boy, instead of crashing down, started falling gently on the ground and stopped when the boy was kneeling in front of Rinoa.

'Are you the one most suitable for me?' she asked

'Yes, I am the Wolf of Ice, Riku,' he answered.

'I am Rinoa Heartilly, your new mistress,' she said. The ice suddenly melted as the magic used around had decreased importantly. 'Follow me,' she said.

They went straight to Rinoa's room where he just stood at the door. Rinoa sat on a chair and looked at Riku.

'Well… I will bring a small bed for you to sleep on and I will show you the house. Although this is a big house and many could live here, there is only me and my Dad,' she said, and half-smiled. Riku didn't react; he just had a cold expression. 'Mm, if you want to eat or anything, just tell me…'

She went to the wardrobe and took out her nightclothes, which were black shorts that showed her legs and a black top.

'I'll go change… It would be better if you didn't go out of the room for tonight. Tomorrow morning I will introduce you to my dad and show you the house,' she said and went out of the room and headed for the bathroom. Riku relaxed a bit and looked at the room. It was quite big but plain, without much furniture, just a bed, a desk and a chair. There was a big window that showed the sea. Riku looked behind to see if she was going to come back and then went closer to the window so he could see the view clearer. It reminded him of something, so probably one of his previous mistresses from the Heartilly clan had this room or a room with this view. He went back to his position and waited for her to come. He had to admit that compared to most of his previous mistresses, this would be a gentle one. He couldn't be sure though because it was early, but his instincts were usually right. The only problem was that he usually felt the bad things to come, not the good.

_Time will tell…_

Rinoa returned and looked at him, who looked like he hadn't moved at all, surprised.

'Mm, for tonight you will sleep just with a cover, but I promise tomorrow you will have a real bed,' she said and he just stayed as he was. She went to her bed and lay down.

'Mmm, won't you lie down too?' she asked. Riku looked at her and just lay on the floor where he was standing. She looked at him and then looked away. After a while she looked again…

'Without wanting to be rude… You can talk right?' she asked.

'Yes, Mistress Heartilly, I've talked to you before,' he answered and closed his eyes.

'Right,' she said and turned so she could gaze at the window.

_It surely fits him to be the warrior of ice._

* * *

As the sun was fading on the sea, a girl with short brown hair wearing jeans and a white shirt was lying on the sand. The beach was away from the city and abandoned. The girl waited for some hours until it was completely dark. As she lay there it was like she was sleeping, but in reality she was just waiting with closed eyes for the right moment, which had come.

She got up and went to the edge of the sand so her bare feet were wet by the sea's waves.

'Spirits of Thunder, Ixion, Quetzalcoatl, Ramuh, Adramelech, guide the warrior of Lightning before me and lend me his powers! I call you forth, Lion of Thunder!'

Instead of lightning appearing or things connected with thunder happening, the sea started being rough and huge waves made their appearance through the dark blue. They all came towards the summoner and were ready to fall on her. The sorceress quickly retreated to avoid being hit by them. She closed her eyes so water wouldn't fall in them. After opening them, she saw a blond man with sun-kissed skin was kneeling at the place she had stood before when she made the summoning. He wore black-blue shorts and a grey shirt with a hood. Going closer but not close enough for him to attack her, she asked,

'Are you the one I summoned?'

'Tell me the warrior you wanted to summon and I will tell you if I'm that one.'

'The Lion of Thunder.'

'Then, my mistress, I'm sorry, but I'm not the one you sought. I am Tidus, the Star of the Sea.'

The girl stayed silent, feeling the rage of the failure. Despite that, she managed to control herself, which was very difficult, and went even closer to the man.

'So now you are my servant?' she half asked, half stated. The man didn't answer; he just kept looking at the ground. 'Show me your face.'

And the man did as he was ordered. He had blue eyes like the sea.

_This time I got a beautiful one…although she has weird eyes…one blue…one green…Anyway, I hope she won't die as soon as the others did._

'Follow me,' she said sharply.

They went to her house where she was living alone, being the only descendant of her family. As they entered the living room, she turned and said strictly to him,

'I am Yuna Rothweller from the well known family. I will show you where you will sleep and where you are allowed to go and where you are not tomorrow morning.'

'Yes mistress.'

'Exactly. That's how you must call me. Mistress Rothweller or Mistress Yuna. Of course, if we are in public, you will be permitted to call me Miss Yuna so we won't draw too much attention. Now go and sleep on the couch and don't even dare to go out of the living room.'

Yuna turned her back and went to her room, leaving Tidus all alone. When she turned the corner and she couldn't see him, he had an expression of boredom.

_And this one is a sadist. Why am I always partnered with someone like her? And she was pretty…_

Yuna entered her room, changed into her gown and threw the clothes she had been wearing on the floor because of her anger.

_So I ended up with a nothing. I wonder why my summoning went wrong. Maybe he will know. Tomorrow I can be sure if he does or not._

_

* * *

_

A girl no older than fifteen with red hair to her shoulders and blue eyes was standing on the roof of the Fon Tarlien house, holding a book which she was reading. It was two hours before dawn. She went to the middle of the area and sat there looking at her watch.

'Only two hours left,' she whispered and continued reading.

When the sun started rising, she was already up, having left her book on the floor where she had been sitting. She went to the edge of the roof, in danger of falling. She raised her hands and closed her eyes.

'I stand upon the house of my ancestors that have held the same fate as I, Kairi, do. Powers of mine, release the light of the crown and bring the warrior most suited to me.'

The sun shone brightly and a figure appeared far away from the young woman. The person flew to the roof; his whole body, shining in light, came down on the ground slowly without raising his face. The young man fell gracefully on the ground, kneeling in front of his now-mistress. Kairi could see that the boy was young in appearance, with light brown spiked hair and a pendant of a crown hanging from his neck. He wore white shorts and boots, a white shirt and a white jacket. The youth raised his head and looked directly at his mistress, revealing his blue eyes.

'I am Sora, the Crown of Light, the warrior most suited to the powers of Holy.'

'I am Kairi Fon Tarlien, your new mistress. You shall follow me,' and she turned her back with him following.

They went downstairs and passed a room full of light where three men were sitting chatting. The boy followed her, looking around, admiring some pieces of art the family held, and tried to feel comfortable in his current home. As a result, he was a little behind. Kairi turned to him and said anxiously, 'Hurry up.'

Sora did so and ran next to her, nearly touching her hand. In her room, which was neither small nor big, she sat on her bed and looked at him.

'Take the keys that are on the table and lock the door,' she ordered, whispering. He did as ordered and then looked at her. 'Listen Sora, for the first days you must not, in no way, get out without my permission because we have guests. After their departure, things will be easier for you to walk in the house, but you must still be careful. There are some people that, although they are very close to me, related by blood, must in no way find out about my fate. In a few hours, the ones that know about me will come to tell me and you about how we will make arrangements.'

'Yes mistress,' Sora said and smiled, showing his optimistic side, despite the many wars he had faced in the past, surprising Kairi.

'Since we look like the same age, at least when we are alone, call me Kairi. After you meet the ones I want you to meet, I will tell you with whom you are able to talk freely and with whom you are not. I must go tell them that I succeeded. Do as I ordered.' And she left with a look of worry.

Sora walked up and down in the room only to stop slightly to open the window to see the view, which was just a garden, not even a beautiful one.

_She must not be the favourite child, maybe the least favourite of her family. And she seems so nice. Since she holds the power of Holy, she deserves a better treatment._

Kairi, as she was walking towards her father's room, passed again the room with the three men. The door now was open wide and the men looked at her with a dirty look as she passed quickly. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Instead of her father, her eldest half-blood sister, from the first wife of her father, opened the door.

'What do you want, brat?' she asked sharply and rudely.

'Umm, I must talk with Father. It's an emergency,' Kairi said shyly in a low voice. Although she was from a family of mages, few actually had powers and through the years the knowledge of having mages in the family had been lost. Kairi was the only child that actually had powers except for a cousin who had decided not to use his powers and sealed them away. Despite that fact, her father never seemed to like her and always looked at her with a strange look that seemed like he was remembering something really bad. According to her cousin, who was some years older, her father had some powers but he wasn't strong like her.

'Father is resting now. I don't think he would like to see someone like you.'

'Please tell him. It's really an emergency. I'm sure this time he will listen to me for just two minutes.'

'Okay, wait here,' she said and closed the door on Kairi's face. After two minutes of waiting, the door opened again and her father came out.

'Father, I came to tell you that I succeeded. I have summoned the Crown of Light as I should,' she said, whispering, and kissed her father's hand.

'I see. I will come in a few hours to meet the so-called warrior of light along with your cousin.'

'Is Zack here?' Kairi asked with a voice that hid enthusiasm.

'Yes, he arrived an hour ago.'

'Thank you father. I will wait for him to come and see me.'

* * *

It was late in the afternoon in Twillight Town when, at the house of the two Strife orphans, brother and sister, the elder child came to the house with the shopping that the younger one had ordered him to bring.

'Naminé! I'm home… Come and help me!' the brother shouted as he entered.

'Don't shout here! This is not the army and I am not your soldier!' Naminé yelled back as she went to help him.

_You are not the one to talk though…_

'Now, give me some and let's go prepare dinner,' she said, but Cloud laughed and stopped her.

'Ha ha ha. No, you will make the dinner and all the things that go with it! I did the shopping,' he said and gave her all the bags he carried and went to his room, leaving Naminé holding the shopping which was really heavy.

As she was cooking, the phone rang.

'I'll get it!' Cloud shouted. 'Hello,' he said as he picked it up.

'Hello,' a boy's voice answered. 'May I speak with Naminé, please?' Cloud's face immediately looked annoyed.

'Yes' he said. 'Naminé! It's for you.' As she was about to pick the phone, he whispered at her, 'It's a boy.'

Naminé ignored him and took the phone. 'Hello?'

'Hi, Naminé! Could you tell me about that project in English?' the boy said. Namine didn't recognize the voice but went to find the notes about the project. Meanwhile Cloud was looking at her from the door. As she passed him, he looked at her angrily and she knew why.

When she returned he was still there. 'Okay! I brought it… What would you like to know?' she asked.

'Mmm, everything' he answered. Naminé sighed and started telling him about the essay. 'The subject is pollution and you choose what kind of pollution you want to specify. You should do it as a presentation and if you want with a team. Make sure to find a variety of materials.'

'Sorry to interrupt you but you do know who I am… right?' the voice asked.

'Actually no… but you are probably Hayner or that other friend of Olette's,' she answered cooly and without showing that she cared about none of the three friends.

'So you do know my name…' he said enthusiastically and Namine's expression changed to than of annoyance.

'Yes. Shall I continue?' she asked sharply.

'Yes, I am sorry,' the boy said happily and she continued. 'As I said make sure to find a variety of materials and to learn them. The presentation shouldn't be more than 15 minutes and no less than ten.' She looked at the clock. 'Wait a sec,' she said and turned to Cloud. 'Go and take a look at the food.'

'Is that your brother?' he asked when she took the phone again.

'Yes,' she answered coldly and continued.

'Okay, that's it! You should find someone to pair up with.' she said and was ready to hang up the phone.

'Say, Naminé… Do you like movies?' he asked .

'No, bye,' she said and closed the phone. Her brother was right behind her listening to her conversation. As she turned, she walked into him.

'Did you check the food or were you here eavesdropping on my conversation?' she asked as she went to the kichen. She looked at the food. 'Thank God! It is alright.'

'Who was it?' he asked and he sat at the chair.

'A classmate,' she answered, uninterested in the conversation he was about to start.

'Just that?' he insisted.

'From my side, yes,' she answered 'In five minutes we are eating. Go get the plates and help with the table since you are here.'

'Yes ma'am!' he said and she laughed. When everything was ready, they sat to eat. The food was soup. Cloud started eating as Naminé just looked at him.

'What?' he asked.

'You seemed like you were jealous…' she said and started eating.

'Mmm, I am the only one that has the right to protect you, so I am just doing my job as good as I can,' he said.

She let it pass and they ate in silence.

After two hours, they were both in the living room watching a funny TV show. Cloud stopped watching and looked at her. After a moment she felt his look on her and looked at him.

'What…?' she asked. He got up and went nearer her.

'I have the need to tickle you,' he said and she jumped up and ran away.

'No!' she said smiling. This was a usual game that always ended up in a run around the house. They had liked it even years before their parents had died. It brought memories of the family life they had lost; it brought memories of the life they had created and lost.

When he finally caught her, they fell on the floor together and she looked at him. 'I have a feeling that this will end before we are able to understand it,' she said.

'Never! We will always be together!' he said. 'I will always be the one that will protect you,' he said.

'No…' she whispered.

'Why?'

'Because soon I will be an adult and you will eventually fall in love and move out and I will eventually find a boyfriend or someone who will come and take care of me.'

'Well, this someone will have to prove to me that he is worthy to be my replacement.'

Suddenly a sound of breaking glass was heard and the brother and sister immediately stood up.

'I'll go check, stay here,' he ordered her, taking out of a drawer a gun.

Before he could move, a boy with brown spiked hair holding a sword appeared. Naminé had a face full of terror. Cloud raised the gun and aimed for the boy, who seemed like Naminé's age. The boy walked towards the younger Strife and he raised his sword, ignoring Cloud's presence. But before he was able to harm the girl, Cloud went closer and placed the gun at the boy's back.

'Stop where you are! Drop your weapon and raise your hands,' Cloud said. The boy looked at Cloud out of the corner of his eye and said bitterly, 'I wish I could' and the boy shone brightly and sent Cloud at the wall.

'Cloud!' Naminé yelled and ran to her brother. The boy looked at her and she looked bravely back, although all her being was shaking from fear. Yet this boy walked towards her, raising his sword and placing it to her throat.

'Although you won't believe me… I am so sorry,' he said, and raised the sword again to take her head.

'But I am not,' she said strongly, raised her left hand holding her brother's gun and shot at the boy's leg. She ran away from him, realizing that the one he wanted to kill was her, something that was really confusing since she was just a high schooler.

He looked at her and jumped, wanting to hit her fatally. She took advantage of her speed and ran again, although she knew that in the end she would die or she would dare to kill the boy. She held the gun tightly and looked for the boy, who was in front of her brother.

'No,' she whispered, and following her instinct she shot again. This time though the boy was ready and used his sword to dodge her attack, which would have hit him in the chest.

'Get away from him!' she yelled and held the gun tighter.

'Drop your weapon,' the boy said, 'or else…' and placed the sword on Cloud's throat. Her hand immediately left the gun. She fell on the ground and closed her eyes. The boy though didn't come; he was still holding the sword on Cloud's throat. Naminé grabbed the gun again and shot, but missed. She ran to her brother and fell on him, using her body as his shield. The boy raised his sword and was ready to kill both of them.

As the last bit of hope of surviving disappeared, all her insides screamed for one last time, for help to God, to a saint, to anyone who could save her brother and herself. She closed her eyes, resting her head on her brother's chest. Then she suddenly heard the sound of two swords hitting each other and saw a boy with blond spiked hair holding two swords, both black, fighting back. The boy was wearing a pair of black trousers, a black shirt with sleeves and a white jacket. The other boy went back and ran away. The new one looked back at the blonds. Namine got up, looking at him.

'You saved me?' she asked.

The boy kneeled in front of her, saying nothing. Before Namine could do anything, Cloud woke up. He looked around dizzily and when he saw the new boy he got up immediately.

'Cloud!' Naminé said and fell on him, hugging him. 'Are you all right? Should we go to a hospital?' she asked, completely forgetting about her savior. She was ready to cry… She hugged him again even tighter.

'I am all right! I am all right!' he said as she was hugging him tighter. 'Can you let me go now?' he asked.

'Yes, I am sorry,' she said and got up. Cloud looked at the boy who was like a kneeling statue.

'Who is that?' he asked.

'I don't know, but he saved us,' she said.

'Who are you?' he asked him, but the boy didn't even react. Cloud looked at Naminé, who looked back at him and then at the boy. She went closer and kneeled in front of him, touched his face with her hand and made him look at her.

'Who are you?' she asked looking into his blue eyes.

'Don't get that close!' Cloud protested, although neither of the two blonds seemed to listen to him.

'I am your servant Roxas, the Soul of Abyss, my mistress,' he said and looked down again.

'My what?' Naminé asked and at the same time Cloud said, 'A what?'

'I am your servant in this decade's war,' Roxas said. Naminé looked at Cloud and Cloud looked at her, then they both looked at Roxas.

'Are you sure you haven't hit your head anywhere?' Naminé asked, concerned.

'And I said don't get that close!' Cloud said and grabbed Naminé around the waist, pulling her back. Before he was able to do anything else, Roxas went in front of Naminé and raised his swords.

'Hey hey hey… what do you think you are doing?' Naminé asked.

'Anyone who harms my mistress must be killed,' he answered.

'What?' both Strifes asked.

'And you were ready to harm my mistress, so you must die,' he said and raised both swords. Namine immediately went in front of Cloud.

'Wait a second… First of all I am not your mistress, second there is no war going on that I am involved in,' she said, 'And to hit my brother, you have to hit me' The swords disappeared from his hands and Namine along with Cloud took a step back.

_What the hell…_

'Care to explain?' Namine asked and Roxas nodded.

* * *

Kairi was walking towards her room and when she was right outside her door, someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into the room.

Sora there, shocked from the sudden movement, had his sword out and when he saw Kairi being held, with someone's hand on her mouth, he attacked so Kairi would be released. The man had dark hair and was also wearing black clothes. Kairi, surprised, looked at the man, who was looking surprised to start with at Sora and then looked at Kairi smiling.

'Zack?' she asked.

'The one and only at your service,' he said and made a small bow. Kairi laughed and touched Sora's hand which was holding that raised sword.

'It's okay,' she said and went to Zack's arms. 'You are back,' she said and smiled. 'I was so alone the last two years… I don't know if I could have survived without your letters of support.'

Zack hugged her again and then, as he was looking into her eyes, he said proudly, 'But you managed to do it!' He looked at Sora. 'I suppose you are the Crown of Light,' he stated, and Sora nodded.

'Zack, this is Sora, the warrior I summoned, and Sora, this is Zack, my favourite cousin, one of my most valuable friends!' she introduced.

'Nice to meet you,' Zack said.

Sora nodded doubtfully. 'Me too, Sir Zack.'

'Zack,' the man who was elder in appearance corrected, smiling in a friendly way. 'Can I call you Sora?'

'You can call me as my mistress allows and I will call you as my mistress orders' was the answer. Zack looked at Kairi.

'Well then, Sora, you can call Zack by his first name usually, and Zack, you can call Sora by his first name.'

There was a moment of silence, which Kairi broke. 'I need to tell you something' and she turned to the door and cast a spell that blocked the sound from inside to outside, and then locked it. 'Listen… My father is the only other one that knows about my powers, all the rest of my family doesn't. Zack and I are the only ones that have powers from the children of the family. In front of my father, who we probably won't see a lot, you must be really formal. He is the leader of the family and he demands from me to succeed so some of the company's incomes will increase.'

'But of course this isn't Kai's wish, so even if she wins, this won't happen, but that …' he said, trying to find the suitable word without insulting a lot. 'Man' was the result, which in no way was the word he thought, 'simply knows nothing of feelings and wishes and the rules of the war.' He then looked at Kairi. 'Have you considered my last proposition?'

'Yes and the answer is still no. I cannot come with you… and I doubt if they will let me.'

'Anyway, this isn't important yet… We have to make sure that you will survive…' he said. 'Mm, listen, I have to tell you something also … I know that you will be very angry with me and you will be absolutely right, I am mad with myself,' he started.

'Zack, whatever you did, I will never be really mad at you….' Kairi said.

'Well… it is a bit difficult… Mm, did you remember that I told you I decided not to have anything to do with magic?' She nodded. 'Well, I did… I had to lie to you because your father told me and I am still not allowed to tell you, but….' he said and looked away. 'Fuck the damned man!'

'Zack…' Kairi said and touched his hand.

'I am not finished… There is also something even worse… He made me search for those months for other mages that are the destined ones to take part in the war… and I did and I told him the three I found…' he said.

'So my first order as a mistress is to attack one of them,' she said.

'Look, two of them are Ashe Dalmasca and Tifa Lockhart, so no, but the third is someone from Twilight who hasn't summoned the warrior yet… and she is not aware of her powers, so if you attack and kill her before she does, it's one enemy less,' he said. 'I am so sorry.'

Kairi looked away and said after a moment, 'It's not like you wanted to…' she said, and turned to him, 'so I guess it's okay.'

Suddenly the door tried to open and they heard Kairi's father's voice. 'Open!'

'Yes, Father,' Kairi said and looked at the other two men. She went and opened the door.

'Why did you lock it, stupid girl?' her father said, ignoring Zack and Sora's presences. Seeing that Zack wouldn't interefere, he went a step forward with his sword that he was still holding.

'Excuse me, Sir Fon Tarlien, but if you talk to my mistress like that, I will have to interfere' he said. The man looked surprised that someone actually defended Kairi, since usually everyone was against her with the exception of Zack and her late mother.

'You must be the warrior… I wanted to talk to you…' he said and made a movement with his hand so Kairi and Zack would get out. They were ready to obey but Sora went in front of the door, preventing them.

'I am not allowed to be away from my mistress. My duty is to protect her so I _must _always be with her.'

The man seemed offended but didn't have an angry reaction. 'Okay then, I wanted to talk to you about the mistress matter anyway,' he said. Kairi and Zack looked at him and Sora raised an eyebrow slightly but there wasn't any other reaction.

'Well, I am not a man that likes to talk a lot, so I will get straight to the point. Is there a possibility that Kairi could be replaced or surrender her place to me?'

Kairi and Zack gasped from the shock. Sora glared at the man.

_Could he really be that offensive towards his own daughter…?_

Then he thought that this was the perfect chance to show him how Kairi had to be respected. He smiled and looked at Kairi, who was, along with Zack, looking at him for his answer.

'You want to replace your daughter?' he asked.

'She is not worth such a chance, she will lose. Since she was little, she has had a pathetic character,' he said.

Zack caressed Kairi's shoulder and she touched his hand, hiding the pain she felt. Sora looked at the man coldly with a smile on his face.

'No, you are not worth to be my master,' the boy answered.

'What?'

'You are not worth to be my master. First of all you are not powerful enough, second you are a man and only mistresses exist, and mainly I am the warrior that holds the power of light, so only the mage, who is also a sorceress, which you are not, who has the power of holy can summon me,' he said and glared at the man. He just stared at him, shocked that someone actually dared to say no to him.

'I will obey _my_ mistress and only her, so she can win and _her _greatest wish will come true,' he said.

The man shook his head and looked at the boy. 'Nice joke… Okay, now let's get serious.'

'I am serious,' Sora answered back. 'You can't be my master, no one's master. Maybe you should start realizing who your daughter is,' he said and the man went a step back. 'Also, I may look young but I've lived for centuries and my reason for existence is fighting for my mistresses and protecting them…' he said and passed the message to the man in front of him, 'so watch your actions in front of me.'

The man looked at him and then turned to Kairi, ignoring the obvious warning. 'You come here!'

Kairi obeyed and slowly went some steps closer. He grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear, 'Eliminate the weak witch. I will not accept failure.'

He then let go of her and waited for the command. She looked at Zack and then at Sora with a look that said, 'I am sorry.'

'Sora, go and kill the witch that hasn't summoned the warrior yet,' she said. 'But if by accident anything happens, retreat immediately. Go!' she said and Sora left immediately so the man wouldn't be able to object.

Zack behind her was both sad and happy for his cousin. Relieved that finally someone actually did something for her and sad that he wasn't able to do that even once.

* * *

At the Strife house, the Strifes and the newcomer, Roxas, were sitting in the living room.

'It seems that you don't know about magic and the mages that exist.' Naminé nodded.

'Well, they do,' he said, and from Naminé's look he suspected that she couldn't believe it. 'They really do,' he said. Roxas then looked at her with a look that caused Naminé to be afraid of the next thing she was about to hear. Surprisingly, before either of the two could say anything…

'Is Naminé one of them? That's why you and the other came, right?' Cloud asked.

'No…' Naminé said, and looked at Roxas for support

'Yes,' he said simply. Naminé had a relieved look, and then Roxas added, 'She is… and not even a regular one. Not just a mage, she is also a sorceress,' he said. Naminé at that moment was ready to black out. She got up to go take another glass of water, but as she walked, she nearly fainted from the shock.

Cloud and Roxas immediately ran next to her, who hadn't lost consciousness but her legs weren't strong enough to hold her. Roxas was ready to take her into a hug in order to carry her somewhere comfortable where she could lie.

'I am the one that will take care of her,' Cloud said and carried her to the sofa.

After a while she had regained her self-control. 'Okay, tell me the rest.'

'Okay… The reason I and the other boy came is because you are one of the ten mages and sorceresses that have the gift to take part in a war between them. If you win, the prize is your greatest wish coming true. Warriors like me are summoned in order to be used as weapons. This war has been going on for ten thousand years,' Roxas said, and looked at her to see if she had taken the news calmly. As a matter of fact she was okay… She had something like a numb face, but she seemed to be okay.

'And? I fear it will not be good,' she asked.

'This war goes on every ten years,' he said.

'And every time the same mages take part until they die?' Cloud asked.

'No, because… there are two ways for this to end, you win or you die,' he said plainly and looked at Naminé. But the one that had the most outraged reaction was Cloud.

'What the fuck! So freaks will come attacking my sister? This is even worse than guys calling and her flirting!' he said angrily without actually realizing what he had said. 'How dare they? My sister!'

'Cloud, calm down! I am the one that is probably going to die… I took it calmer…' she said.

'No, Naminé! I am the one that has to protect you! The only one,' he said and hugged her. 'I can't lose you too.'

'You are wrong here… The one that will protect her and rightfully has the position of her guardian and escort is me! After her death or her victory I will fade away and wait for the next decade in a place beyond time and reality for the next summoner,' Roxas said.

'And you will never rest?' Naminé said. 'You will fight forever?'

'Yes…' Roxas said. Naminé, without being able to understand it, felt a pity for the man in front of her…

'Listen, boy! I don't care about you or your past or your future… You do not have a right to my sister, not to protect her, nothing! I have taken care of her for three years now and I will continue to do so… If you don't like that, the door is there!' he said and pointed to the door.

'Cloud! Behave yourself! This is not the right time for this and you know it! This is a serious situation Roxas and I have been drawn into. Go and bring me a glass of water,' she said, but he didn't move, still glaring at Roxas who looked back at him with a stubborn look. 'Cloud! I spoke!' Naminé said and she looked angrily at her brother, who unenthusiastically went to the kitchen, but he went backwards without leaving them alone for a second more.

'Listen, I have to tell you something before he comes… Do not worry about other stuff like me now…. Worry about you and about your brother.'

'Is he also in danger?' she asked

'Probably… He may be used so people could hurt you or come closer to you,' he said. Cloud returned from the kitchen, flashed a glare at Roxas, and handed Namine a class of cold water.

'Thank you,' she said.

'Ah, I forgot to tell you that Naminé and I will sleep in the same room so I will be able to protect her better.' Roxas said.

* * *

Ok. Another thing the story is nearly finished so I don't need anything but someone to urge me to upload the second chapter to do so.

Thank you for taking your time to read my humble story. Have a good day!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** I forgot to say it but this chapter along with the previous ones have been edited by XIIIAnonymous. And of course thanks to all that read and reviewed.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Everything goes to Square Enix.

_

* * *

_

Objections And Agreements

_Ah, I forgot to tell you that Naminé and I will sleep in the same room so I will be able to protect her better._

_Sleep in the same room…_

This sentence echoed inside Cloud's mind like the most terrifying sentence he had heard for years, maybe even in his whole life.

Naminé looked afraid at Roxas and went closer to him before her brother woke from the numb situation he was in, looking at the wall like an idiot.

'Don't say things like this in front of him and especially not like that,' she whispered. Cloud, seeing that her face was close to his, immediately woke up and glared at Roxas.

'Naminé! Too close!' he yelled.

Roxas sighed. This man was too attached to Naminé, his mistress, and it would cause problems, but this could also be used to Naminé's advantage, although he had to wait for his reaction to the sensitive matter first. Naminé went a step back from Roxas.

'Can you repeat it?' he asked, hoping that it was his imagination was what he had heard.

'Gladly,' Roxas said, ignoring Naminé's warning. 'Naminé,' he said slowly and pointed to the blond girl, 'and I, ' and touched his chest, 'will sleep,' he said and placed his two hands on his left cheek, closing his eyes for a moment like he was sleeping, 'together,' he said and grabbed her into a hug.

Cloud looked at Roxas with a look that could kill. Roxas though didn't seem afraid and waited for his words.

'Let go of her,' he said, and Roxas did so slowly. 'Absolutely not! You will not even be nearer than one metre, and that is still too much but I can handle it.'

'Then don't blame me if she doesn't wake up one morning, soon,' he answered.

'What?'

'You don't understand the situation she is in! The attack that happened can happen again,' he said 'But that doesn't mean that we must be anxious everyday about that,' he said to Naminé.

'I will sleep with her…' Cloud suggested.

'You are not enough' was the answer. He then turned and went to Naminé to show him where they would sleep, but before he could speak Cloud grabbed his hand. He turned slowly to him.

'Who are you to judge if I am enough to protect my own sister? I did so for years! I never let anyone harm her; I didn't even let anyone get near enough to hurt her. I did so for years. She is my Naminé! When she was sad about our parents' death, I was the one next to her to help her. Whenever she was sad, I did my best to cheer her up and this is not my character, but for her, only for her, I changed and went against my nature,' he said and looked angrily at the boy. Naminé could see the hidden sadness through his eyes and felt her heart break. She was ready to go nearer and hug him.

'You are still not enough against the enemies,' Roxas said and pulled back his hand. Naminé ran to her brother and hugged him.

'Cloud… Bro…' she started, but Roxas took her hand.

'Leave him… He has to understand that as he couldn't handle the other boy, he will not handle any other ones. Some of them are much stronger. While he can't, I can and this is what I will do,' he said, and pulled her away from her elder brother.

'But…' she said and was ready to cry.

'Who are you to judge?' Cloud said.

'Someone better than you.'

'Just because you say that, it doesn't mean it's true…'

'The previous events show other things,' Roxas snapped.

'I don't care! I was off-guard. Now I will be prepared…' he started.

'No, if there is another attack, you will hide.'

'I am not a coward.'

'It's one thing to be a coward and another thing to be stupid.'

'You dare to call me stupid?'

'Yes I did.'

'Are you trying to pick a fight?'

'No, but even if it leads to one, I will be the winner, so why should I care?'

'Shut it, both of you!' Naminé yelled in tears and ran into her room.

'Look what you did!' the two boys said at the same time, pointing to one another, and then they both followed her, but before they could enter the room, she slammed the door in their faces and locked it.

'Naminé…?' Cloud said, worried.

'Mistress,' Roxas said, 'open the door please. It's not safe for you to be alone.'

'I said shut up! I am perfectly fine alone! Tomorrow I will not go to school and we will discuss some matters as all of us, and Roxas, I will talk with my brother privately first,' she said, and another cry escaped from her. 'Now go and leave me alone.'

The two boys, although they both didn't want to leave her, understood that it would be hopeless for them to press her and would only hurt her, so they retreated. Cloud went to his room and tried to sleep, but his mind was stuck on the image of Naminé crying, while Roxas was in the living room waiting for the next day, hoping that the big brother would see things from the logical side.

Cloud on his bed, now calmer, thought of all the things he wanted not to hear. Yes, he understood that the boy was more capable than him, being a warrior for centuries with the duty to protect, but still it hurt that he had to hold back. He had to let her be saved by someone else. Maybe he was even afraid that she would stop loving him because he wouldn't be able to protect her anymore like he had promised to himself that he would. Of course, his logic said that this wouldn't happen but still… This thought had become at that moment his nightmare.

The night passed with none of the three having slept. Naminé was crying and trying to calm down and accept everything she would have to go through, the danger she was in. Like this wasn't enough, she would have to deal with two men who couldn't understand that she was also a human and she was the one about to die. She also felt!

Roxas was on the couch and waiting without doing much, just thinking about tomorrow's conversations.

Lastly, Cloud didn't sleep, thinking of a way to calm Naminé and make up with her.

At dawn Naminé got out of her room and went to Cloud's without being noticed by Roxas, or at least it seemed that way. She had decided that because the two men wouldn't be able to find a solution alone, she would have to help them for her sake. She slowly opened the door and went to the bed. She lay next to him and started talking softly to him.

'Cloud…' she whispered.

'Naminé!' he said and jumped up, hugging her and surprising her. 'I am so sorry that I made you cry… I couldn't sleep,' he said and hugged her tighter.

'Cloud… I can't breathe,' she said and he let her go immediately.

'Sorry…'

'It's okay,' she said, and hugged him again. 'Now, I want you to listen to me first and then start objecting, okay?'

He nodded obediently.

'Listen bro, Roxas is here for a reason, because my destiny is so screwed up that I have to be involved in this death incident. I know that you love me and that you want to protect me, but these enemies are not simple humans, they are more complicated. Simple people like us can't harm them,' she started saying.

'Well, you are not that simple,' he said, and touched her nose.

'Well, perhaps.' She laughed and caressed his face. 'Anyway, perhaps because of that… Roxas has to be near me, like sleeping in the same room with me to protect me because he can. It's his job to do that,' she said, and Cloud had a certain look. 'Think about it otherwise… he is here for this war. After that, if I survive, I will not see him again.'

Cloud seemed to think about it.

'He will be on the floor and the door will always be open. And I will always be able to come in. And you will change in the bathroom alone,' he said, and Naminé smiled.

'Yes sir!'

'I will think more later.'

'Okay!'

'Now I should sleep… I have to apologize to that brat tomorrow.'

'Well, he is not exactly a brat,' Naminé said.

'I feel nice thinking that he is…' he said, and lay down to sleep. 'Sleep here,' he said, and hugged her from the waist.

'Sure… Cloud,' she said and closed her tired eyes.

Outside the room, Roxas heard the conversation and smiled that his mistress was able to handle the matter.

'Other times I will tell her first and let her handle it. She is much better at that,' he thought, and left the two Strifes sleeping peacefully. After all, how much of this peacefulness could last? He sat on the couch again and closed his eyes so they would rest. He wasn't sleeping though; all his sensations were working at their best.

_At least I have a clever one this time… A very clever one and with a strong aura._

_

* * *

_

And he decided to teach her, for the days he would spend with her, some basic defence and attack spells.

Squall was on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Having been the 'warrior' of this Dalmasca, he already felt that this one would be the most sadistic he would have for at least another century, maybe two. He had come to the conclusion that she must have the intention to make him pay for the loss of the previous Dalmasca he had to serve, and he had lost to Seifer, who else? They always ended up together in the end having to end each other's torture.

While they were waiting for the next war, they had been really close and maybe even closer than they should be, since their destiny was to kill each other. It was so tragic that they had bodies so they could kill their only companions. It pained him that he always ended up having to kill or be killed by someone he felt so close to him.

Over the centuries, he had once or twice weak or inexperienced mistresses; those mistresses had become the only ones whom Squall wanted to win for. He treasured them so much for actually treating him like a human that he had made a promise with Seifer that if either one ever had a good mistress, they would do their best to help her win.

Unfortunately for both of them, there were only once or twice good mistresses, while sadistic and cruel ones were so common. They were even jealous of the weaker warriors that had gentler mistresses. Especially that Sora kid… He always had an angel for a mistress; he had won once or twice. He had never had a bad one, just because he was the Crown of Light.

'Squall!' Ashe's voice was heard as she entered the room.

'Yes ma'am,' he answered and got up. Through the years he had decided to be wordless with women like Ashe because it was easier for him, but also for them too, not that he cared.

'Go down and take the box that is in front of the main entrance,' she ordered, and lay on her bed. Squall got up and went down. She had at least shown him the house so that he wouldn't be lost the first times he had to search for the places where he had to do his tasks.

Usually the sadistic and insane ones wanted them not only for weapons, but also for slaves. This one though was the worst. He had been under her service for only two days and he had been forced to clean her room, feed her, and then she hit him and laughed. As he slept, she was watching him with a look like a cat's that was about to trap a mouse.

He took the box, which was unexpectedly heavy, and went to the room as quickly as he could. On the way, he saw the annoying cousin who, from the moment she had seen him, ran to him. Having to carry that box and considering the reaction of Ashe if he was late, he walked as fast as he could and entered the room, being able to avoid her. The worst part about the cousin was that she was a teenage girl who had no respect and if he said anything to her, Ashe would punish him. And considering the hits he had received for no reason, the punishments would be really bad.

'You were nearly late,' she said.

'Where should I leave it?' he asked.

'Hold it! Until I decide,' she said and smiled cruelly, looking into his eyes.

For an hour and a half he was standing like an idiot, holding the box, which seemed even heavier, until she decided that he could leave it anywhere since it didn't matter.

_She is doing it on purpose to make me rebel and give a reason to punish me…I can't explain it otherwise._

He wished that Seifer would have another fate this time. He left it slowly and then looked at Ashe…

'Do you know what this box has in it?' she asked.

'No ma'am,' he answered.

'You didn't have the curiosity to open it?' she asked and started scratching the bed with her nails, which were dangerously sharp.

'No ma'am.'

'Very well… I will tell you what it contains,' she said and looked into his eyes. 'There is an instrument inside that allows the handler to find the mages he seeks.' Squall knew of that… The previous Dalmascas he had served had used it; maybe that's why the weak ones always died soon.

'Won't you say something?' she asked.

Squall looked at her and thought of a suitable answer. In the end he came up with something he found quite acceptable. 'It must be helpful.' Ashe looked at him and then at the box.

'Open it! And make sure you won't destroy it, stupid cat. It's a family treasure.'

_I know. I was there when your ancestors made it and have used it many times over my eternal life._

He opened the box and took out the pieces carefully without making a lot of noise.

'Now connect them,' she said when he had placed them all on the ground. As he was doing it she was watching him. In the beginning he thought that she was making sure he wouldn't break it, but then he realized that she was watching him to learn how to connect it.

_So she doesn't know how to use it probably._

The thought that she had to rely on him angered her and made Squall feel doubly happy… She couldn't do something really important which he could and he knew it.

Ashe was watching him as she was trying to understand how the pieces were connected. After that she would have to somehow learn how to use it. The last one who knew of the way died when she was young, so the secret of the usage died with her, but the warrior knew…. But she would never let herself go so low to ask help from the stupid cat.

She would find the way alone.

* * *

Seifer was alone at Tifa's room, who was down eating with the rest of the Lockharts. As he was walking he had seen some members of the family that he had met the previous decade, like the little girl that was singing and playing the violin. It made him feel awkwardly happy that she was still pure in heart. To his amazement he had also known Tifa from the previous decade that he had served this family. She was around ten and she was the favourite niece of his mistress. She was usually in the room with her aunt, who taught her to hate the Dalmascas and become strong so she could destroy them and particularly Ashe Dalmasca. They talked a bit as they were waiting in the same room. Suddenly though, she stopped coming.

One night, the last time he saw her, she had come to see him.

'No one must know that I am here… Tomorrow I will be sent to the mountains for my training. I will forget everything about you… but the next time we meet don't judge me that cruelly… Once I was also a child,' and she had left.

The logical answer was that they had erased her memories or cast a spell and made her forget about him and their 'friendship'. He understood at last her words and felt pity for the pure girl. They had found out that she was a next mistress and they wanted her to be trained for this war, that nine times out of ten she wouldn't survive. But yet it was true, she wasn't always that cruel… There was a time that she was different.

This though didn't make him despise her current self less. What she was now had nothing to do with what she once was.

Suddenly the door opened. Seifer didn't turn to look at the one that came in, being sure it was Tifa.

'Long time no see,' a familiar but unexpected voice said, 'Seifer.'

'You?' he whispered as he got up.

'What? You haven't seen me for ten years and that's your reaction?' she asked, and laughed with the same laugh he had despised then and, as he found out, he still did.

'Come on, say something…' she teased him with that voice that sent chills all over his body.

'Lea Lockhart?' he asked in disbelief.

'I suppose that is the way you will call me since Tifa is the mistress…' she said. 'I'll get used to it.' She walked inside the room and went nearer to him. 'Isn't she different? Did you imagine that she would be a next mistress, _your_ next mistress?'

'Why are you here?' he asked, without being able to hide the despair he held for the black-haired woman anymore, who was a lot like Tifa but she had paler skin.

'Ts ts, Seifer… Anyway, I will answer your question… I am here to see you,' she said and smiled.

He stayed silent and glared at her before she spoke again.

'Tifa doesn't know that I am here and she doesn't remember you either,' she said and went closer to him. 'It will be better for you that she doesn't remember,' she whispered in his ear.

_So she is here to threaten me… How much like a Lockhart. And I thought she differed a bit._

'I will not remind her if this is what you and the other elders are afraid of. The Tifa I knew is long gone… I understand better than anyone how precious it is to rest, since I am not able to do so. The dead must be left in peace; they deserve it,' Seifer answered and went a step back.

'Then I should get going,' she said, and left the room without another word.

Seifer, alone again in the room, hoped that Squall, his Squall, wouldn't have to go through anything really bad if he was summoned by a Dalmasca. He knew equally well how awful their revenges could be.

And the last time Squall lost serving a Dalmasca against him when he was serving Lea, and his loss meant the Dalmasca's death by a Lockhart's hand. The hate between these families was too dangerous. For him, for the two families, for everyone.

* * *

Squall finished the instrument and looked at Ashe. The woman got up and sat next to the instrument that was on the floor. She slightly touched and observed it. She was looking at it, noticing the symbols and the strange stone that was under it. There was a place to put something like a stone or something.

She kept looking at it for about two hours. She had realized that the weird stone had nine small marks and the runes were, as she had managed to understand, the instructions for some reaction the marks and the thing that would be inserted had.

If there were ten marks it would be the ten chosen, she thought, but then her ancestors knew where one chosen would be: it would be someone from the family, so the other nine marks were the rest. Ashe smiled as she had made the beginning to understanding how to use it and she had done it alone. She was always good at riddles or mysteries and that now was her advantage.

The second thing according to her judgement that had to be solved was the runes.

'Squall, go to my bookcase and bring me all the books connected with runes or symbols,' she ordered, feeling a bit enthusiastic.

Squall did as he was ordered and brought the books. As he was taking them, he recognized some and then looked at Ashe. He admitted that she was clever and he had done the unforgivable mistake of underestimating her. He took a book that held the answer for the runes and put it under all the others. He then brought them to her, who was still sitting looking at the runes, trying to figure out what they might remind her of.

She took the books and looked at them one by one; she opened the last one but then closed it again. She then took another and looked in the index. Since the information there didn't seem to please her, she gave it to him, who took it with the satisfaction that she was going to spend at least all the night finding the answer for the runes.

Ashe indeed searched all night without sleeping and Squall nearly admired the simple and effective way her mind worked. She had found the language before midnight and it took her only four hours to translate, something that was remarkable considering she hadn't known anything about the language before.

After a full night's hard work, Ashe proudly held the paper that had the translation of the runes. It had been difficult, she had to admit, but she had done it! Alone! Without his help. She knew that he had understood that she didn't know how to use the instrument, but she felt so nice that she had succeeded that even this didn't matter.

The translation was the following:

After the stone has activated the instrument, the marks will shine.

The marks that will be red hold the meaning that the warrior hasn't been summoned yet.

The marks that will be blue are the warriors that have been summoned.

To find the ones that are sought, the holder of the stone must use its power.

The runes didn't give more instructions. But those that she had were really helpful.

'Now the stone and the place to put it,' she whispered, and shook her head so she wouldn't sleep. She was tired, very tired, but she would finish and then take care of her needs. This was what everyone had told her since she was young, to put her ambitions and plans first and her needs second.

Till now she had followed those instructions loyally and she had never lost.

She remembered suddenly that she had received, when they found out that she was a next-to-be mistress, a box and a letter. She had read the letter then that told her to open the box when the time came.

And Ashe judged that the time had come.

She ran to the bookcase and took a book. She opened it with a spell because otherwise it couldn't be opened, and the book opened like a box that inside had a smaller box. She took it out and slowly opened it with a feeling that she was doing something sacred.

It was a red pendulum.

She took it and went to the instrument. She placed it in the place where the stone would be inserted.

In the beginning nothing happened and Ashe sadly wondered if she had done something wrong, but as she was holding the stone, her magic awakened the red stone and it activated the instrument.

There were five marks that were blue and four that were red.

_So soon…_

There were half with summoned warriors and it was early.

She felt a small anxiety at first, but then again she was the one that was going to win this time so it didn't matter… She would deal with everyone and she would start with the weak ones. It was even nice, the thought that even Lockhart would kill some so in the end she would just have to destroy her, something that was pleasant to her, to all the Dalmascas.

Then she felt how tired she was. It was time to take care of her needs. She got up and lay on her bed, falling asleep immediately.

Squall, who was watching the scene silently as always, looked from another point of view at his mistress' abilities. She was better than he had expected and with a very strong will.

* * *

Naminé woke up in her brother's bed but without her brother in it. She looked around and then she got up. As she opened the curtains, she realized that she had slept with her clothes on. She decided that she wanted to change her clothes before she went to deal with the Roxas-Cloud problem. She went into her room and chose a simple white dress and changed. After she had finished with this, she went to the kitchen to drink something, and there she found Cloud preparing breakfast.

'Wait a moment,' he said and took her by the shoulders and put her on a chair.

'Okay,' she said.

He took a glass of milk and put it in front of her, then he placed a plate with eggs and bacon in front of her and cut two slices of bread. At the same time Naminé was looking once at her brother and once at the things he had brought. When he had finished and stood next to her, she looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

'Do you want something?' she asked.

'No. I must want something to prepare breakfast for my little sister, who I adore that much?' he said and hugged her.

'Yes' was the honest answer. Cloud hated cooking and anything that went with it.

'You don't know me then,' he answered.

Namine started eating and then looked at Cloud, who stood next to her with a smile and watched her eating.

'Am I that beautiful that you want to watch me even when I eat?'

'But of course.'

'Are you alright?' she asked and continued to eat.

'Yes, eat up! And drink your milk.'

Naminé took the glass and drank, still looking at the man.

'Okay…' she said and then looked at him. 'Is all this because of what happened yesterday?'

'No,' he said immediately.

'In other words, yes,' she corrected and got up since she had finished. 'I'll go to Roxas, and I want you when you finsh cleaning to come also, so we can talk,' she said and left.

She found him lying on the couch sleeping. She went nearer and touched his shoulder softly.

It was warm. Her hand moved to his neck and then to his cheek. Having never been so close to a boy other than her brother it was weird, but, she admitted to herself, extremely nice. She wanted to continue touching and caressing his face, but her mind told her to stop and unwillingly she did so.

'Roxas…' she said. 'Roxas…'

He got up immediately and looked around. 'Mistress… has anything happened?'

'No, no, relax… I just wanted to talk with you,' she said and sat. The couch was also warm like him. He sat next to her.

'What would you like to talk to me about, mistress?' he asked without looking at her.

'Mmm, well, I talked with my brother about yesterday and he agreed to let you sleep in my room under some conditions that he will announce later,' she said.

'That's nice, mistress,' he answered.

Naminé was looking at his head, which was looking away from her.

'If it's possible, can you stop calling me mistress?' she asked

'Is this an order?' he asked, still not looking at her.

She looked down and answered in a low voice, 'Well, I don't want to force you do something you don't want to…'

'I will call you as you order me,' he answered.

'I don't want to order you to do anything,' she said and looked at him again. 'I want your help but not as a slave,' she said. He turned to her sadly.

'Then how?' he asked bitter-sweetly.

'As an equal perhaps,' she said, and with a breath she added, 'or as a friend?'

'I am a slave though…' Roxas said and looked away again.

'If you believe that, then I can't do anything about that,' she said and got up. 'But if you ever change your mind, feel free to change your way towards me and Cloud,' she said 'Or Cloud wouldn't get the respect thing?' she asked, smiling with a clever look

Roxas looked surprised at her and then raised his shoulders. 'I would do as my mistress ordered,' he said in a way that made Naminé laugh.

'Have you finished, Naminé?' Cloud asked as he approached them.

'Yes… I told Roxas about your decision to let him sleep in my room under some conditions,' she said and sat next to Roxas again, but at Cloud's look she got up and sat in an armchair. 'So we are waiting to hear all the conditions.'

'Okay… Rule number one: he will sleep on the floor. Rule number two: the door will always be wide open. Rule number three: I am allowed to enter whenever I want. Rule number four: You will change in the bathroom alone. Rule number five: He will not touch you. Rule number six:…' he said and looked at Roxas, 'Umm… you will not sit next to her.'

'Done?' Naminé asked.

'Yes,' he answered.

'Roxas, come with me to show you the room,' she said and turned to Cloud. 'We need to find him some clothes since I will have to go out and he must follow,' she said.

'I'll give him some of mine,' he said.

'Cloud… You are at least a head taller,' Naminé pointed out.

'Some of my older clothes,' he suggested.

'You had told me last year to give them to an orphanage,' she said.

'Well, how could I suspect that he would come?' he answered back.

'I will give him some of yours that might suit him and in the evening we will go to buy him a pair of jeans and some T- shirts,' she said, 'and I will not accept objections,' she added as he was ready to object. He closed his mouth and watched her walking away with him behind.

'Mistress… I wouldn't like to be a problem to you or your brother,' Roxas said when they were in her room.

She turned to him and said, 'Not a problem at all. Don't worry. Okay, this is my room, I will bring something for you to sleep on but first we must get you some clothes which you can wear and feel comfortable in. And walk around in the town without having people look at you.'

* * *

Ok. That's it for the second chapter. Thanks everyone for taking the time to read.

Have a good day!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Well everyone thank you for your reviews. I hope that you will like this chapter as well.

**Disclaimer:** Everything goes to Square Enix apart from the character Lea Lockhart.

Title: Truths And Cursed Rights

* * *

Lea left. The door closed, leaving Seifer alone in the room, wondering if this visit wouldn't be the last one. He thought about what she had wanted to tell him and if she had come just to threaten him.

_Probably not… She wanted to show that she has power in the family._

Not that he ever thought that Lea, who had won against a Dalmasca and won for the Lockharts, wouldn't have power in the family. Her personality was also very suiting for power.

When she had been his mistress, she was a young girl, only sixteen, with a need to become powerful and earn the respect of the family. She had everything that was needed for a born leader, a born winner. From the very start, she had shown something more than the determination Tifa had. She had the need to win. She had the need to fight… Seifer doubted her hate for the Dalmascas… The hate they had put inside Tifa so violently that now she couldn't live without it.

No, Lea was cleverer; she understood what the family felt for the only antagonist they had.

Lea had won for herself, purely for herself. She had won so that _her_ dream would become true, and the death of the Dalmasca meant nothing to her. It was just an annoying insect that she eliminated since it was in her way. Seifer had to admit that even as a mistress, she wasn't a bad one.

_But not a good one either… She was a realist. _

She understood that she needed him for her start and she had to use him properly. And so she did.

She didn't use him for other matters than the war… Well, she flirted with him and even forced him to kiss her, but besides that, she didn't make him do unneeded things. Instead, she used him as a source of information about duels and ways to destroy enemies.

Because of all those things and many others, Seifer knew that the twenty-six-year-old woman wouldn't leave Tifa without a guide as to the way he would be used.

Seifer, though, doubted if Tifa was as ambitious as Lea was. In reality, according to the things Lea told her when she was younger, Tifa would be obsessed with Ashe Dalmasca and after the war, if she survived, she wouldn't have a reason to live.

_Except if this is what she wants…_

To use Tifa to gain more power… But of course… Lea wanted to get rid of the elders and replace them.

She had even said so…

_Flashback_

_It was a foggy night when Lea Lockhart became the winner of the war and her biggest wish would come true. Seifer, serving her, had just defeated Squall, defeating the last enemy._

_Lea looked at Seifer, who would vanish in a while, and smiled at him with a smile she never had showed him before. A smile a Lockhart had never given him. A smile of satisfaction, a smile that said well done._

'_Next time we meet… I will have become something…and all I will have gained starts from today,' she said with a steady voice, and he listened carefully. 'So hear this for the first and for the last time, Seifer, the Cross of Creation,' she turned to him, 'thank you. But never forget that next time… I will have more than I have now.'_

_End Flashback._

This memory though brought another memory to him. The last battle he had had with him… The memory of that battle was more than unbearable. It was the worst.

_Because of the words that were spoken._

Flashback

_Seifer and Squall were fighting in the foggy area without being able to see their mistresses. Squall had the advantage in the battle but Seifer had Lea's magical support. Lea hadn't ordered him to kill the other mistress, but to take Squall away. She would do the murder._

_They worked as a team for all the mages they killed. And of the nine other mages, she had killed with her own hand seven, excluding the Dalmasca. Seifer had had to kill only one, who actually did the attack._

_They were away from the mages when Squall broke the deadly silence that ruled between them._

'_It's nice to think that we are alone at least, in our time of dying.' _

_Seifer, surprised that he had spoken and more surprised that he had stopped, looked at him._

'_Wouldn't be nice, if we could stay forever like this?'_

'_What?'_

'_With bodies.'_

'_Why? To endure more physical pain?' Seifer asked, confused._

'_No, idiot,' Squall said and started vanishing, 'to express what we feel with actions.' _

'_Yeah…' Seifer said and looked at the brown haired man. 'It seems I won this time.'_

'_You had a mistress worthy of winning …I knew from the beginning that what you were ordered to do was to take care of me and not my mistress. Like all the others, she will die by her hand.'_

'_She is unstoppable…' Seifer admitted and closed his eyes like he was in regret._

'_That's why she won,' Squall said. 'Don't be late, I'll be waiting,' and he was lost._

_End Flashback._

Seifer though couldn't forget those words…

To express their feelings, through actions.

Yes, he wanted to do that… More than anything… More than he was allowed.

But he felt a fear for this desire. A fear which was coming from Lea.

She was unstoppable then and that was why she had won. She was unstoppable now and that would be the reason; he was afraid that she wanted something more when she came.

There was only one thing though that made Seifer shake from fear; more than the fact that she was unstoppable.

Then she could have won alone, without him. He was just a shield that could easily be replaced by one she would create with her own hands.

From the moment she had summoned him, she had made it clear that she wouldn't lose.

And she would never lose.

Tifa would be one of the many victims. The difference between them was that Lea worked always for her own, while Tifa was a puppet.

* * *

Namine had picked for Roxas a pair of jeans that reached Cloud's knees, but to Roxas were a little longer, and a black t-shirt. To Naminé's surprise, Roxas was rather attractive in them. Namine wore a black skirt and a white shirt.

'Okay. Cloud usually buys his clothes from there, so we'll start from there, okay?' Naminé said. It was only the two of them since Cloud had been called by his boss and had no choice but to go.

Flashback

'_I have to go, the old man called that they need me in the gate,' Cloud said with a sign._

'_Did anything happen?' she asked._

'_I don't think so…Probably they want me to act as a leader in the gate…' Cloud answered and took his jacket. _

'_Okay, if you come back and we haven't returned, there is food in the fridge,' Naminé said indifferently. Roxas appeared behind her and looked at Cloud. _

'_Wait a sec…You are going out alone?' he asked emphasizing the world alone._

'_No, I will have Roxas and I will go buy him some clothes,' Naminé said smiling ironically at her brother._

'_No, no, I said I'll be with you…'_

'_But you have work and we will go today…If you finish early, call me and we will find you,' Naminé said as she put on her jacket and flashed him a smile again. _

'_Why don't we go tomorrow?' he said, hoping she would agree._

'_Because I say so…' Naminé said. 'Roxas…' she called and started walking away with the blond behind her. 'Don't forget to lock up…' she said before closing the door._

_End Flashback_

'Whatever you say…' Roxas started, but Naminé cut him off.

'No, no, no, don't give me that now. We're going for you so you must do something that might seem impossible for you: have an opinion' and she turned her back on him, heading for the store. Roxas stayed where he was for a moment and then he ran to her.

'Don't walk behind me,' she said. Seeing his confused look, she added, 'Walk next to me, like we are friends. Otherwise it might seem a bit strange.' She directed with a stern look but her eyes showed a playfulness rare seen in them.

'Okay,' he said and went next to her.

They entered the store and went to the department with the men's clothes. There, Roxas let Naminé take the lead as to what they would be looking for.

'We want one or two pairs of jeans and some t-shirts,' she said to a girl who, as Roxas understood, was there to help.

'Follow me then, please,' the girl said politely.

'Thank you,' Naminé said when they were at a wardrobe with blue trousers. 'We'll handle the rest.'

When the girl had left, Naminé looked at Roxas, and with a wave of her hand told Roxas to take a look.

'They are all kind of the same…' he stated as he looked.

'Yeah… Choose three and we will go look for t-shirts,' she said and Roxas took three that seemed to be his size. 'Nice… Do you want to try them on?'

'Try them on?' he asked.

'Wear them and see if they look good on you.' Roxas had a look that said `whatever you say`. Naminé sighed.

'Let's find some t-shirts too and we'll see about that later,' she said and they went towards another wardrobe.

Roxas, without waiting for her to say anything, started looking. Naminé smiled as she saw him looking on his own. She looked a bit too and found two t-shirts which, according to her, would look awesome on Roxas.

'Hey… You should try them…' she said and showed him the two she had picked. One was black with something written in blue on it and the other was grey with a black thing on it.

'Okay… I liked these two,' he said and showed her a simple white shirt and a blue one which had a shark on it.

'Mmm, I like the blue one… Leave the white one since Cloud has one like that… Except if you like it that much.'

'No, no, no… I prefer the blue one,' he said and left the white one. He then took all the clothes and they went to the changing rooms.

'Okay, I will be waiting here. When you're wearing something, come out,' she said. He nodded and went to change.

After a moment, he came out with the blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

'Very nice,' Naminé said and went closer to fix the collar which was a bit messed up. 'And now it's even better.'

'Do you like it?' he asked.

'Yeah… a lot…' Naminé said, still touching him. Then she realised what she was doing and took a step back. 'Go and put another shirt on. The jeans are all the same so you don't have to change them.'

'Okay,' he said.

After half an hour, they had finished. Naminé walked with him holding everything, because as he said, he had to.

'Do you want to eat?' she asked. 'I know a nice place…'

'Okay,' he said. She smiled and they walked the rest of the way in silence. As they walked though, a voice was heard.

'Naminé,' the male voice said.

Naminé froze and looked at Roxas. It couldn't be him… He was really insufferable. Roxas noticed her look and looked behind. He saw a blond boy wearing green clothes running towards them, waving. The girl looked behind and to her greatest disappointment, it was him.

'Hey… What a surprise to find you here,' he said and was ready to hug her, but Naminé avoided it with a cold stare.

'Yes… I suppose,' she answered. There was a silence and Naminé was ready to excuse herself and Roxas to leave, but Hayner had other plans.

'Is this your brother?' he asked and pointed at Roxas, who raised an eyebrow.

'No… I am…' he started and looked at Naminé, 'a friend.'

'I see… You are not from our school, otherwise I'd know you,' Hayner said with a rather cold voice.

'No… He is from the country. He came to see me,' Naminé said equally coldy and looked at Roxas.

'Hey, Nami… Want to go for a drink?' he said and hugged her around her shoulders.

'No,' she said and took his hand away from her shoulders.

'Then how about to eat something?'

'We were going to do that before you stopped us,' Roxas said, who was completely ignored.

'Mmm, okay… Well, we can go for a walk when he leaves?'

'No, I promised her brother to take her home safely,' Roxas answered again, although the question wasn't for him. He took Naminé's hand and pulled her to his side.

'Well, I wonder if Cloud could trust you about that,' Naminé whispered in his ear so Hayner wouldn't hear.

'Okay… Then tomorrow?'

'No,' Roxas said and, hugging her around the waist, started walking away, leaving the other boy looking after.

'First, I didn't ask you … and second, why do you care? You are not her boyfriend… I am sure because she doesn't have one.'

'She is my friend, while I know that she isn't yours,' Roxas answered. Meanwhile, Naminé looked once at Hayner and once at Roxas, saying nothing. She had to admit that being hugged by him was pleasant and she wanted to get rid of Hayner. She had tried to show that she wasn't interested, but he didn't seem able to understand it.

'A friend is another thing from a boyfriend and a friend shouldn't get in a way of someone that might also become a friend,' Hayner answered. 'Or even more.'

'I don't see anyone that could be that,' Roxas said, looking around.

Naminé was worried this could take a lot of time, so she decided to do something. Hugging with her hand Roxas' back, she looked at him.

'Roxas… I am hungry… Can we go eat?' she said and smiled at him. Roxas, surprised for a moment by her way of acting, realized that she wanted to leave and nodded.

'Bye, Hayner,' Naminé said and they both started leaving. Hayner said nothing this time and stayed looking at the two of them, who disappeared around a corner.

When they turned, they took one step away from each other.

'What a jerk,' she murmured.

'Yeah….' he agreed.

'You say nothing about that to Cloud,' she said.

'Okay… We will go home or to the place to eat?'

'Home and I will cook something,' she said.

* * *

When Ashe woke up, it was late in the morning. She had slept for four hours. She touched her head and looked around. She saw Squall looking out of the window and for a moment she stayed like that. Then her gaze went to the instrument she had spent her night and sacrificed her sleep for. She got up and sat on the floor again, wanting to explore it and its usage more.

Squall noticed out of the corner of his eye Ashe's movement but didn't move, nor showed a sign that he took notice of her, although he knew that she aware of him.

Ashe took the pendulum again and placed it to the gap and the pendulum shone. After a while the marks shone too. Four red and five blue.

She closed her eyes and touched a blue symbol.

Nothing happened.

She touched with her other hand the pendulum and let her power enter the instrument that was seeking for it.

_Come on… who is this?_

Suddenly her image, from black, became a face with black hair and black eyes. A face she recognized immediately.

Lockhart… Tifa Lockhart.

Her hatred for this woman was more than her will to live. She wanted her death so much. Since she could remember herself, she had had the need to insult the other girl, who wanted exactly the same. They hadn't seen each other much over the last two years but the woman hadn't changed.

Then she wanted to see who was the warrior she had called. Nothing happened until Ashe tried to think how she was able to see the other mage.

By a question… She had to ask.

_Who is the warrior she called?_

If she had used the perfect match, it would be Baralai, but that was weak and Tifa wouldn't summon a weak warrior. Ashe was nearly sure that she had summoned the same as her ancestor had, but she couldn't be sure. Not because she lacked power or knowledge, since she had proved that she had both, but because there were also other good choices or that one could be taken.

A cross appeared and she knew the answer. A face with blond hair made her suspicions become facts. Tifa had called the Cross of Creation.

She opened her eyes and took her hands from the instrument, leaving the stone inside.

She had done it. Suddenly she felt tired again… She had the need to close her eyes, lay on the floor and slept immediately.

Squall looked at the woman on the floor and then at the dangerous instrument she had just used. It was dangerous and the last action Ashe did could cost her sight. She was really lucky that the result was just to lose her energy and have the need to sleep.

Many Dalmascas had lost the war because of that instrument….

_And many won… Thanks to it._

True… Some used it really well. Ashe's great-grandmother, for example, had won thanks to that instrument. He didn't serve her, Sephiroth did, but he had learned from the man about the woman. A Dalmasca a century before Ashe's great-grandmother had won thanks to the instrument. Squall remembered that one actually very vividly… She was a strange woman, with a strong will to survive.

Many had won, but compared to the ones that died or lost their health because of it, they weren't that many.

Some lost their sight, some lost their spirit, some their dreams. Many lost their memory and most lost their lives.

It was dangerous and if Ashe didn't do some research about the instrument before she used it again, her luck would expire and the results might be awful.

He looked again at the woman on the floor. He had underestimated her abilities and her character. She was strong as a mage, but was she as a human?

The last winner had been younger than Ashe, with less experience and less training than Ashe, but she had won in a way that made him, a top warrior who had lived for centuries, shake from fear. It was a victory that had belonged to her much more than all of the previous victories belonged to the previous winners.

That woman was an ultimate winner. And once an ultimate winner, forever a winner.

In all the wars he had taken part in, there had never been a woman like her. And this was dangerous…

Lea Lockhart…

* * *

It had been two days since Rinoa had called Riku as her warrior. Rinoa was in the bathroom looking in the mirror, thinking of all of the things she had learned over the past days.

It was unfair… She never wanted this… It wasn't even her choice.

No… She didn't want to die. And especially she didn't want to die like _them_.

Was her destiny really… This?

Riku… that… _boy_…

Rinoa looked in the mirror again and found her eyes red, trying to hold back tears.

'Why? Why? Why must I go through this…?' she wondered out loud and let her tears out. Tears that were the tears a child would have from being afraid. From being depressed…

The ice-type magic… wasn't really the best choice for her.

_Maybe it was for my aunt or for my sister… But I don't know…Since I don't remember her and I never met the other._

She took water and a big breath and looked again in the mirror. It was really weak for her to show so much emotion… Even to a mirror.

Alone in a room… Her only true companion was herself now.

Her family had, for years, witches inside who all possessed the ice or the cold. They all lived releasing their hearts from their coolness.

The problem though was that perhaps the ice inside her…had melted from the hot tears she had held those years.

She got out of her room and made her way to the living room where Riku and her father were…talking.

About his sister probably…

_Or about my funeral._

Her father hadn't been surprised when he had seen Riku next to her the morning after the summoning. Riku was the same… They had greeted each other like two people who knew each other.

Rinoa walked inside and silence fell as both of them stared at her.

'I am going for a walk,' she announced to them as she took her keys from the table. Riku got up and followed behind her. She looked at him and then at her father...

* * *

Yuna was sitting in her room, with Tidus on the floor. She was holding a book that her family had for the warriors. It was strange that she had Tidus for her warrior… That his ability was water, the exact opposite from lightning, which was her ability.

'Hey, you! Get up!' she ordered suddenly as she stood up and moved closer to him.

'Yes, Mistress,' he said obediently.

'Do you know about how the warriors are summoned? And how each one sticks with a certain mage?'

He nodded and she went even closer to him, so he could clearly see her strange eyes.

'Then why did I have the warrior whose abilities are the opposite of mine?' she asked. Tidus leant back and put a distance between his face and hers.

'If a mage tries to summons a warrior that has already been summoned, then the outcome is the warrior that has exactly the opposite powers from the one that was supposed to come, to be summoned.'

'Why? As a punishment? But how could anyone know?' she asked, ignoring for now the fact that the one most suited to her had been summoned by another.

'Because then the mage who lost the one she wanted, who probably was the one most suited, can use the one completely different to the certain warrior's abilities to destroy the mage that 'stole' her warrior and have two warriors under her control, giving her a big advantage to win since she was a 'victim'.' Tidus said, and Yuna's face was shone brightly from the news had she learned.

'So I have to kill the mage that took the Lion of Thunder,' she said.

'But if the other warrior dies, he cannot be summoned again by his new mistress,' Tidus warned.

'I can use my powers to find where my warrior is, right?' she asked Tidus.

'Yes… If he was the one most suited… You have similar powers which are able to recognize each other.'

'Okay then! I have to find where he is and then you will kill the mage and I will have back what is rightfully mine,' she said

_Shit… __She will die soon too! Why can't women understand that being overconfident is bad? How can I ever win against Squall? Especially if my mistress is you!_

Yuna though didn't have these kinds of thoughts, being extremely happy from what she had learned.

She was, as Tidus had pointed out, overconfident. She lay on her bed and smiled happily.

_I may have the opposite powers __to Squall, but if he was summoned by will, then the summoner is strong and I need a mistress that can grant me powers so I can win, but being the exact opposite means that my power is lower than it would be if I just had a mistress with different powers._

_That's why…many have been in__ your position but none was able to achieve having two warriors._

* * *

Author's note: Don't forget everyone... the moment I have around 4 or 5 reviews I will upload the next chapter. Please tell me your opinion about the story. It is as I have said in the first chapter kind of an experiment for me. By the way may I ask you a question? What do you think of Lea?

Special thanks to XIIIAnonymous for helping as a beta reader!

Thank you for your time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **Thanks everyone for your wonderful reviews. I hope that you will enjoy this chapter too.

**Disclaimer:** Everything goes to Square Enix. I own only the character of Lea Lockhart.

Title: The You Beneath The Surface

* * *

Kairi was laying on her bed with Sora next to her sitting comfortably. She remembered the event that happened a day before. It was night and she had been through a difficult situation with her father nearly hitting her. If Sora wasn't there to actually threaten her father's life with words and actions, she would have a big bruise on her face. She looked at her savior and felt a huge wave of gratitude towards the brown haired spiked warrior. The first person to ever fight for her.

True, Zack and her mother were on her side, but they didn't dare to go against anyone in the family. Then Zack tried to get her away from the main house, away from him and yet she refused.

Sora looked at his mistress that had a sad expression on her face and was staring on the floor.

'Things like the one before happen often?' he asked breaking the silence. She nodded without looking at him. It was true father often yelled at her and belittled her since she remembered herself. Her mother died when she was seven, so for years she had only Zack and herself for support, and then, her father wanted Zack away from the house, perhaps fearing the power he could have upon Kairi. This, though, didn't change at all how they felt for each other. In contrast their bond became stronger and deeper.

'Does anyone help you?' Sora asked again, although judging from Zack, that was the one closer to her, the answer was obvious. Kairi shook her head, still refusing to look at him. Her face was covered from a mask that hid her pain. It was her defense as it seemed. Sora went closer to her and smiled widely.

'Well now you have me!' he said and she looked at him with eyes that were ready to cry 'So… cheer up. I like the smiling you better' he said and she started crying.

'No, no, I didn't want to upset you… I am sorry' Sora started believing that instead of cheering her up, he had made her worse.

Kairi took a big breath and regained her self control after a while. She looked at Sora and smiled at him.

'For a reason… I feel that I can trust you more than I can my own blood relatives, except for Zack of course.'

'But you can! I am here to protect you from everything, not just the other mages but from people that cause you great sadness like….' Sora stopped there because whatever happened, that man was her father and she wouldn't like him offending him.

But he was wrong. 'My father' she finished for him. 'The one I could love so much.' Sora looked surprised at her 'Not that I don't love him now… after all he is the man I want his love the most'

'So your wish is…?' Sora said

'To be loved by my father' she said and got up. 'He has never hugged me, not even tell me that he loved me. From the start he showed that he didn't want me. He purposely showed how much he loved my sisters in front of me so I would understand that I was lower than everyone in his eyes' Kairi said and looked at the window. 'For years the whole world was my father, especially after my mother's death… I wanted to die too…. So I wouldn't be a burden to him. No, I wanted to die so I wouldn't be alone. As the years past and I entered school, I found it impossible to socialize with the other kids so I was generally alone. It wasn't that we hated each other but… we just didn't talk. I started comparing myself with everyone… and especially my sisters. What did they have that I didn't, and they received my father's love. They were beautiful, cleverer, more talented, social and they didn't have magic. So I believed that I could never have his love because of my holy powers, I felt that I was a freak… but he ordered me to study magic… then it confused me, but now it's clear why he did that. So I could win…' she said.

'Well… I know that I am not your friend and that I don't have the right to judge you or your family but… a person that has from the beginning tried to hurt you doesn't deserve to have your love. He mustn't have your love because… that way you give him a way to hurt you more. If you really want to go through that chapter of your life… then you have simply to show that you don't care.'

'Even if it's a lie?'

'Yea… because when you will leave… you will love an other man. I hope that this man will at least treat you the way you deserve.'

'All of this can happen if I win… and as he said… I have a pathetic character and I will certainly loose… so what's the point in dreaming or wishing' she said and lay again.

'Listen Kairi… my power comes from the power of your wish. If you strongly want something then I have the power… no I am _your_ power… in order to bring this something to reality… So don't give up!' Sora said.

'Thank you Sora…' Kairi said 'I will do my best' and she smiled a bit. 'After all I don't want you as my servant but as my friend'

'So as a friend I am your power' Sora concluded.

* * *

'So I will learn magic?' Namine asked as she was on her bed laying with Roxas laying on the floor next to her bed.

'Yes… I will teach you the basic stuff about defense and perhaps attack spells…. But first we must see what exactly is your power' he stated.

'We are lucky that in a week school ends for the summer vacations and this year I had finished my exams right before you came.'

Roxas was confused. 'If you have given the exams why do you still go to school?'

'Because the teachers do some talking about what lessons we should choose next year, since we start being prepared to enter the college we want or something…. But that stuff is crap since they actually don't matter for our future'

'Ok…so every morning we will leave?' He asked.

'Well I can stop going since I didn't have absences during the year… anyway today is Saturday so I don't have school generally'

'Will you talk with your brother about it?' he asked.

'Perhaps… probably…. Yes… he is after all my guardian' She said and took from the chair her clothes. 'I'll go change' she said and went to the bathroom. When she left Cloud went in the room.

'How did you sleep?' he asked.

The other got up stretching his hands. 'Safely' Cloud looked at him and asked seriously.

'Did you keep the rules?'

'Yes… I am born to obey' Roxas answered simply.

'Aha' was the only reaction and Namine entered the room.

'Good morning Cloud' she said.

'Good morning sis' he said and kissed her cheek. She smiled and then went near Roxas.

'When will we start?' she asked

Cloud frowned, feeling ignored. 'Start what?'

Roxas and Namine looked at him.

'Magic' they said in a unison.

* * *

'My power is abyss so if I am the one most suited to you… your power will have to do with the mind.'

'What if you are not?' she asked.

They were in her room sitting on her bed looking at each other but keeping a distance between them.

'Well since you summoned not by will but accidentally…. Then your power will have to do something with my powers.' He said 'But I feel that I am the most suitable so that must be.'

At that moment Cloud entered the room. Namine looked at him and then at Roxas, who was looking at Cloud.

'Would you mind if I stayed here?' he asked.

Roxas raised an eyebrow questionably. 'Why?'

'Why stay here?'

'Yes' Roxas answered him.

Cloud raised a bit his shoulders. 'Because'

'Then no' Roxas said without letting Namine speak.

'If I remember correctly this is Namine's room… who are you to give orders?' Cloud said back. Roxas there didn't have what to say. Yes it was Namine's room and he was her servant/warrior… So who was he to give orders to his mistress' older brother? Cloud smiled for his small victory in this argument and looked at Namine.

'Can I?'

'Well we have to do some stuff so…. I guess it's better if you are not… since many people will make it more difficult to concentrate' she said.

'Why don't I stay here and he leaves?' he asked and shared with Roxas a glare.

'Because he is the teacher' Namine simply answered.

'But…. I want to stay!' Cloud protested and sat in the middle of the bed or next to Namine and Roxas.

'Cloud…. You are being childish' Namine said still calmly although because she knew how stubborn Cloud could be, if he didn't change his mind soon, she would have to make him go.

'No…. I just want something and I am fighting for it' he answered back. As Namine guessed he didn't change his mind.

_Dear God… why must I have such a stubborn man for a brother? He doesn't even listen to logic!_

'Cloud…' she started with a serious and dangerous face. 'You won't stay here'

'But…' he started.

'Butter Cloud! You won't stay' she said calmly yet strongly. Cloud immediately got up with an annoyed face and left but before that he murmured.

'Why am I always doing what you want?'

She waved at him 'Because you love me'

Roxas who was watching all this started seriously thinking about how easily Namine made her brother obey when she released her aura accidentally.

_Could she be a…?_

'At last… how stubborn he is! I don't get why he never does what…'

Roxas cut her 'Mistress…?'

'Do you usually have people do what you want…?' he asked. She looked at him and then seemed like she was thinking about what he said.

'Well not always …' she said.

'When you get 'serious'?' he asked. When she got serious her aura was released.

'What do you mean by serious?' she asked.

'Like how you were with Cl… with your brother' he explained.

'Well yes… but I am like that usually with Cloud only… It must be an emergency to be that strong' she said.

_Which means that for your brother, that is so stubborn, you need more power and effort to make him obey but with others… a small part of your power released is enough._

'I think I know what your power is' he said and she looked at him.

'You do?'

'You are a mind user' he said and she looked at him without knowing what was the meaning of what he told her.

* * *

Ashe woke up and found herself on the floor with the instrument next to her. She looked around and noticed Squall looking outside of the window not doing the least movement. He was still… like a statue.

'Why didn't you place me on the bed and left me here on the floor?' she asked as she got up.

'I wasn't ordered to do so' he answered simply ignoring her attempts to get to the bed, which was obviously difficult since she was so dizzy and felt empty without powers.

_An effect for using it without knowing how._

'Isn't that obvious?' she asked as she finally was able to reach to the bed and lay. She breathed heavily and every breath as difficult to take.

'Why am I so tired?' she wondered out loud. Squall looked with the corner of his eye the woman who was at a state of nearly dying. If he wanted he could help her by asking if this question was for his to answer, but he didn't.

After all, this wasn't his job.

'Didn't you think that you should help me?' she asked, despite the difficulty she had that moment with breathing.

'Objects don't have thoughts….' He said and she stilled for a moment by his cold voice 'as they don't have wills' he added and a thunderclap was heard. Ashe then noticed that the sky was cloudy and it would probably start raining.

'I see' she answered and lay again, trying to regain her powers. To Squall's opinion, though, it was like she was fighting to remain alive. He felt her weakness on his flesh.

Deep inside, he wished that she would fail…. That he wouldn't have that flesh anymore… he wouldn't have to go through _that sin_ again…. To live _that moment_ again.

After eight hours Ashe was up again… her body still weak but strong enough to stand and to be back to its normal condition. It was the first time that Ashe was so happy for breathing. She took big breaths and enjoyed the feeling of the air inside her.

But as she looked around the room her eyes fixed on the instrument and then on Squall. Eyes that hid inside a small fear that was coming from her previous condition.

Could the instrument have done it? Maybe there were some things about it that she should have considered before using it. She was nearly at a state of being half alive and half dead.

No! She was half dead and half alive those moments.

_Death…_

No she didn't want to die. She wanted to live! She had dreams to achieve!

Like to kill Tifa Lockhart. Yes, she had dreams and ambitions.

She would destroy her! And after that she would help her family and the new mage from the family.

She would live, and for that she had to learn more for the instrument.

But her eyes remained also on Squall, who was as she left him before she slept, looking outside of the window. Still… still as a statue.

Why? Why this stupid cat for a minute scared her? The stupid cat!

She looked at him, and for a moment she just stared at his beautiful face.

_He didn't help me because I didn't order him. But if that is to happen generally… then he could leave me laying on the ground after a battle till I wake and if I wake. This is not…what I want._

She touched her neck and recalled what he said to her.

'_Objects don't have thoughts…'_

'_As they don't have wills'_

_The sound of a thunderclap._

She shook her head, not wanting to even think that she may have done anything wrong.

She didn't understand that the warriors weren't objects. Had thoughts. Had wills. Had needs. As they had feelings.

She couldn't understand that the difference between her and him was just that he couldn't die but neither live. It wasn't that he was lower because of who he was. It wasn't she the one with the real strength.

She was unable to see the truth that was so obvious to all the mages from simple families, without the training and the lessons she and all those like her had. The ones that would be replaced were the mistresses not the warriors. The unique ones were the warriors.

The winners, the real winners, were the warriors… as they did the killing.

Ashe couldn't realize anything of these. Not like someone else…

The only one who didn't have a simple family… but realized the truth of the bond between her and her warrior, instinctively.

The one that understood before anyone in her family the meaning a mistress had to a warrior and the meaning of a warrior to a mistress.

She saw all the traps and made her warrior to help her… she made him respect her.

The one who won with her own power… whose name made all the eternal warriors shook from fear.

* * *

'_No one must know that I am here… Tomorrow I will be sent to the mountains for my training. I will forget everything about you… but the next time we meet don't judge me that cruelly… __Once I was also a child'_

'_You must always understand that you are a Lockhart and your destiny is to win! To destroy your enemies._

_The Dalmascas!_

'_What's your name sir?' _

'_Seifer'_

'_And what are you to my aunt?'_

'_Her warrior'_

'_Really!'_

'_Aunt why do we hate the Dalmascas so much?'_

'_Because they hate us'_

'_Why?'_

'_Because they are afraid of us'_

'_You must hate Ashe Dalmasca more than anyone'_

'_Seifer…when I grow up will you be my warrior too?'_

'_If you are strong enough I may be'_

'_Then I will become strong enough.'_

'_You want me that much?'_

'_Yes! Because no one is as handsome as you are'_

'_You are the one that will represent our family in the next decade… Tomorrow starts your training'_

'_Prepare yourself!'_

'_Tomorrow I will be sent to the mountains for my training. I will forget everything about you…' _

'_Girl… you will fall'_

'_My name is not Girl! I am…'_

'_Once I was also a child'_

Tifa woke up sweating and for some reason terrified by this strange dream. She breathed heavily, and her heart was beating faster than usual.

'Those voices….' She whispered, and suddenly she felt hot tears on her face.

'I'm crying?'Something that was unexplainable. Those voices were not from her life. From a very young age she had dreams that were from other people. This was something though she told no one. It was a power she found, learned and mastered on her own as she searched alone in the library for hours. It was her ace and one of the reasons she didn't feel sad about other people's problems.

But why? Why did she cry this time? For this person… that could be an antagonist? But some things made her wonder. Some similitarities….

Firstly: You must hate Ashe Dalmasca more than anyone else.

This was something she heard all of her life but never from that voice. Could anyone else hate her that much? Hate the Dallmascas that much?

Secondly: You must always understand that you are a Lockhart and your destiny is to win! To destroy your enemies.

This was also something from her life… and then the same voice said The Dalmascas… implying this was the enemies that had to be destroyed. The one that was supposed to hear this was obviously a Lockhart. Perhaps her powers were now able to see in the past… in someone's else past.

Also that with Why do we (from the things said before the Lockharts) hate the Dalmascas so much…

The answer was the same she received… How?

Then the voice of the little girl reminded her something, but although she tried to find who was it…. She couldn't. For a minute she had the funny idea that it was the voice of her younger self… but then… the other female voice… she didn't know it yet it felt familiar. How confusing.

Lastly: That Seifer…

Tifa looked at her asleep warrior in the corner of the room… For a minute that image, him sleeping at that corner of that room, was also familiar in a different way… like she had seen it years ago.

But that wasn't possible…

The Lockharts gave that room only to the mage that would participate to this war and no one could enter except from that one. And the warriors nearly never went out. Tifa first met the previous winner after she had summoned Seifer.

Yet… if her powers had been improved to being able to see past memories of people from the past… then all this could be from an ancestor….

But even that theory had some problems… even if that was true… then the little girl…how could she say what she said.

'_What's your name sir?' _

'_Seifer'_

'_And what are you to my aunt?'_

'_Her warrior'_

'_Really!'_

How? Since the warriors were hidden and especially from little children… Except if that girl was a would be mistress… but still she hadn't met her aunt before the summoning… Maybe if that was really from someone of the past… then in the past they had different customs…

_But they told me that the warriors were hidden since the war began in the family. Or in other words from the beginning of the beginning of the war._

A lie? Why?

And it wasn't only that, the other conversation with that Seifer, who Tifa started to believe that was her Seifer, was also confusing.

'_Seifer…when I grow up will you be my warrior too?'_

'_If you are strong enough I may be'_

'_Then I will become'_

'_You want me that much?'_

'_Yes! Because no one is as handsome as you are'_

This conversation showed familiarity.

Her Seifer… that didn't talk and didn't show emotions…. Was like that with a little girl.

_Maybe it's not my Seifer... _

But Tifa believed he was her Seifer…

_How tiring! How confusing! Yet how interesting! _

Tifa shook her head… all these things were something that had no explaining…. Yet.

She hugged her waist and smiled with satisfactory. Her powers were improving… She closed her eyes and signed… The future had a lot to show.

But inside Tifa those voices weren't someone else's past… but her past! But she didn't believe that and as a good Lockhart whatever she didn't like to believe, she made an other explanation.

Seifer, who had just awaken from the feeling of a certain aura that he knew so well, was right. She was like all the previous Lockharts… well maybe not all…. There were exceptions.

* * *

Rinoa walked quietly in the center gazing at the shops without looking actually at them. Riku was walking next her with his hands in his pockets.

From the moment she had summoned him the only words they had said to each other were:

Occasion number one

'Are you the one most suitable for me?' she asked

'Yes, I am the Wolf of Ice, Riku' he answered.

'I am Rinoa Heartilly, your new mistress' she said. The ice suddenly disappeared as the magic used around had decreased importantly. 'Follow me' she said.

That was when she summoned him.

Occasion number two:

'Well… I will bring a small bed for you to sleep on and I will show you the house. Although this is a big house and many could live here, there is only me and my Dad'

'Mm if you want to eat or anything just tell me…'

'I'll go change… it would be better if you didn't get out of the room for tonight, tomorrow morning I will introduce you to my dad and show you the house.

Those were the two of the few times in her life that she had actually tried to break the ice between her and someone else.

He didn't even answer.

Occasion number three:

'Mm for tonight you will sleep just with a cover but I promise tomorrow you will have a real bed.' She said and he just stayed as he was. She went to her bed and lay.

'Mmm won't you lay too?' she asked. Riku looked at her and just lay on the floor where he was standing. She looked at him and then looked away. After a while she looked again.

'Without wanting to be rude…. You can talk right?' she asked.

'Yes, mistress Heartilly, I've talked to you before' he answered and closed his eyes.

'Right' she said, and turned so she could gaze at the window.

That was the first night that she had him on her room or an hour and a half after she summoned him.

Occasion number four:

'Good morning' she said as she woke up the next morning.

As usual there was no answer.

Occasion number five:

'This is Riku, this is my father'

When she introduced him to her father that actually knew him better than she did and as she had started to believe Riku knew her father better than she did.

They weren't close.

Occasion number six:

'Can you please give me the salt Mistress Heartily?'

The one and only time he spoke to her by his own free will.

Now that she thought about that…she had spoken to him more when they first met.

She stopped as she was walking outside of a store with old toys. She smiled bitter sweetly at the image of the toys. She loved them as a child.

_If I lived and had children…would my child like them too?_

At this thought she had a strong need to cry but like always she controlled it… after all, the weakness of ice was to break and melt.

If she screamed the ice would break and if she cried the ice would melt.

Riku behind her just stayed there looking at her reflection on the glass. The mask that hid her true self was there and although he couldn't see the true Rinoa, he was able to recognize that the mask existed.

Not like her father.

_How much longer will I be able to look at this? Will I be able to come back tomorrow…?_

Riku for a moment looked at the shop, and then again at his mistress. How different she was from her sister and her aunt and her grand mother. She was like a great aunt that nearly won in the war three decades ago. Riku had served her. It was the first Heartilly that took part in the war.

Like her, Rinoa was true ice and Riku felt so easy with her in a way.

_A really strong ice feels ready to break all the time but in reality that happens because it grows thicker with time. When time comes and its power is questioned, all the moments of loneliness become the power to fight back. It's best defense: to remember.

* * *

_

In the same town that the Lockharts and the Dalmascas ruled and fought each other a woman with a man arrived. They were walking calmly looking around… The man was looking from one corner to another like he was anxiously searching for something…. Or someone.

If anyone though saw from a map their movements they were going closer to a certain place that many of the citizens felt like inside a real beast lived.

They were going to the ….

* * *

A little bit of a cliffhanger huh? ... I know... well you want to know what's going to happen? Review please.

Ok another thing... the part with Cloud that said butter is a little confusing right? Well in my country, when someone wants to end an argument they say something like that. (For the Greeks, I was inspired by the usual hearing of "Ti?" "Tiri")

And lastly this chapter has been edited by Anonymous XII

Have a good day and if it's not a lot of trouble give a review please.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** Sorry for the delay everyone.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot and the character of Lea Lockhart.

Well Thecakeisalie asked before to put a list of the mistresses and their warriors so here it is (I know I forgot it in chapter 4 but please forgive me)

Namine Strife - Roxas/Soul Of Abyss

Ashe Dalmasca - Squall Leonheart/ Lion Of Thunder

Tifa Lockhart - Seifer Almasy/ Cross Of Creation

Yuna Rothweller - Tidus/Star Of the Sea

Rinoa Heartilly - Riku/Wolf Of Ice

Kairi Fon Tarlien - Sora/Crown Of Light

* * *

'Mind user?'

'Yes…. And your power is control' he said.

Namine stayed with her mouth open for a moment and then closed it as she realized she looked like an idiot.

'So I can control people?' she asked not being sure if this was really that kind of control Roxas was talking about.

'Yes… basically that's it.' He answered. She nodded and looked around for a moment. 'To be a mind user… you have to be very charismatic and with a high IQ. But of course if you don't know about your powers or they are sealed…. Then the things I said before are taken back'

'I can't quite follow the last thing' she said.

'It's okay… What I mean is… if someone is a mind user but doesn't use the powers he has then he may be clever but not the exceptionally clever like an other mind user that used his powers.'

'Okay… I got it now… I think' she said.

'There are a lot of types of mind users… control is just one. Being a mind user is rare though… There have been many wars for million of years, but there have been only twenty including you mind users, that have participated'

'How many have you served…?' she asked.

'Eleven. I won with all of them. Whenever there is a mind user and she calls her most suited then it usually is me. The irony is that there has been only one mind user till now that was coming from a family of mages. All the others weren't aware of their powers or if they were, then they couldn't control them. The eight left died because of other mages attacking'

'Did you serve that one that was from a family of mages? Whoa I didn't even think that stuff like that existed'

'No… she had chosen her warrior…' he answered.

'Did she win?'

'Yes… she is the previous winner…' he answered but his voice was lowered.

'Really? And how was she?' Namine asked.

'She is alive' he said not answering the question.

'As a person… did you ever meet her?'

'Yeah… I was the only warrior she couldn't kill with her own hands… or to be more exact I was the only one that made her to have to need the help of her warrior to kill my mistress' he answered with dark eyes.

Namine noticing his look and the stress he was in… stopped the conversation about that previous winner, who according to Roxas must have been a real monster.

She lay on the bed and smiled.

'I suppose I have to do a lot to catch up with those previous mistresses of yours' she said.

Roxas looked at her and then again down. The memory of the black haired woman was more than unpleasant to him.

_To all of us…_

He looked at Namine and then he got up and sat on the floor.

'Hey… what happened? Are you okay?' she asked.

_I really hope that you won't catch up with my previous mistresses. It would be__ a pity… for someone so like her._

'Yeah… I am okay… Do you want to continue or is this enough?' he asked her.

Namine was ready to say yes but something stopped her before she did. It was his face… his beautiful blue eyes… with so much pain inside that made her stop.

He didn't want to continue but because of whom he was or of how he lived, he never considered his own needs.

_In that case I have to consider them. After all as his mistress I have to take care of him._

'No… I believe it's better if we continue later' she said and took her mp3. 'Do you want to listen too?'

Roxas slowly looked at her. He felt really awkward with her good character. It felt like ages since someone had considered him… actually it was three centuries.

_Why is she so good with me? Why can't she be like the others…? It would be really easier._

Although he did want to listen to her music. He did want to feel closer to her. To accept her proposition of being an equal and a friend to her… he didn't.

In the end she would die and he would have to go through the pain of the loss, because there was one truth and only one: she would die and he would be stuck in a realm between reality and lies.

What is the point of loving when you can't share? When you can't offer not even your self?

* * *

It was late morning when Tifa returned from where she had to go with Seifer. As they walked in the house towards her room, they saw a woman with back hair and black eyes, paler skin than Tifa wearing a black dress walking at the opposite way. Tifa for a moment stopped walking but then continued with a bit quicker steps. The woman didn't even looked at them but by the way she walked Seifer, who knew her better than many thought, was certain she had seen them or better felt them.

As they went nearer to her and she walked closer to them Seifer's fear reached its limit.

Her perfume… that was what she wore the day she killed the Dalmasca….

Her aura was as chilling as ever… as powerful as ever.

Her skin seemed as soft as then…

She was as perfect as ever…

Lea looked up directly at Seifer…

Her eyes as hungry as ever… hungrier than then.

She looked again at the papers she was holding and continued her way.

Tifa stood there watching and sensing this encounter.

Seifer… her Seifer was … frightened?

They continued their way to her room with Tifa troubled and Seifer ready to cry from the fear he felt by her. From the pain his flesh felt by her… ready to scream. He was ready to run at Lea and fell on his knees begging her to put an end to this…

Tifa sat on the bed and looked at her frightened warrior that was in his most pitiful condition. He had a face that showed panic and his hands were shaking… showing a Seifer that she didn't know… a Seifer she wasn't sure she could handle.

But what she didn't like the most, more than the weak side of her servant, was that the one that put him in that condition was Lea. It was dangerous that Seifer had such a bond of fear or terror perhaps with his previous mistress… that was alive and was living under the same roof as they did or he did.

She didn't know a lot about her aunt… in reality nobody in the family did. She was a loner… The only things that were known for sure were that she won in a month, she had called Seifer as her warrior, she was an excellent mage and she had earned a lot of respect in the family. Some of the younger members were admiring her as an idol.

But Seifer knew Lea… he lived with her… he obeyed her… he was close to her. Some said that he actually helped her with more ways than jus killing the mistress. Seifer was afraid of her… which meant that she had something that was terrifying.

Terrifying enough to terrorize an eternal being…

And Tifa wanted to know what was it…

'Seifer… ?' she asked starting a conversation.

'Yes mistress' he answered.

'How did you feel for seeing again after ten years, my dear aunt' she teased him.

'As I should' came the small answer.

'Be more exact'

Seifer looked at Tifa and for a moment she thought he would just stand up and run out of the room like a little child would do.

'I felt…' he started. Tifa raised an eyebrow. His difficulty of talking about her was more than obvious 'as Lea wanted me to feel'

'I want you to tell me more about those feelings' Tifa said.

Suddenly an aura being recognizable and felt only to Seifer spread the room. It was an aura this time that gave Seifer some courage.

'The warriors are not allowed to speak about a previous mistress, that is alive… if she was dead, then I could tell you… but Lea was my mistress and a mistress that lead me to victory… for that reason I will not talk about her till she surrenders her soul to Him' Seifer answered and this aura made him feel again his old self… it was like a calming medicine.

'I see' Tifa said.

* * *

Ashe had left an hour ago leaving Squall in her room… she had locked the door to Squall's relief… that way unwanted meetings perhaps could be avoided. But still Ashe could do anything just because she was pissed…

Suddenly something that was attracted to him like a magnet made an appearance. It was something that was the total opposite of his powers, something that could crash him and he could crash

_So probably Tidus…_

But also there was something more coming with. A power like his… nearly exactly like his… with minor details…

_So probably the mistress that would be my most suitable…_

Squall though didn't show a sign of panic or anything towards those newcomers… who could be enemies. After all this had happened many times…

_Or they could simply be… my imagination_

But he knew that his imagination usually worked according reality.

Now… the next thing he had to think about was telling the Dalmasca about his thoughts. But then again… as his mistress she had set the rules and the basic was that he didn't count… he was after all an object. Squall not even finding the idea of being called an object by her offensive, smiled.

Squall through the years started to obey those rules so much that Seifer had won many times thanks to that… but then again the last years and other had won a lot of times.

Well as he obeyed the rules… he was able to take a small revenge on his mistresses that made him full of happiness…

_So her rules_

_Her problems_

_Her mistakes_

_Her injuries_

_Her death._

He run a hand through his brown hair and looked outside wondering about the soon to be events and about future events. Future faces that were from the past… Dreams that he couldn't dream due to his lack of being able to sleep to most of his incomplete existence.

A small smile that could be described as smirk, as sarcasm appeared on his face at the though of Ashe's face when they would be attacked.

_After all…Objects don't have thoughts…_

He could use that to scare her in the battle. His smiled grew wider… he had started to like quite much the idea of his _strong _mistress hurt.

* * *

Ashe was waiting out of the office of the family leader… she had decided that he, who had lived many wars, would be able to guide her as to the real, true and safe way to handle the instrument. He was after all eighty – five years old… he had met winners of the war and he had seen others die by the hands of Lockharts or even just simple witches that happened to reach victory. To Ashe's opinion… witches that weren't aware of their powers, that hadn't trained and didn't even think that magic existed… should surrender and let other mages kill them.

None of those hadn't sacrificed as she, the Lockhart or any mage from a family of mages did. They shouldn't even take place in the war.

They shouldn't try and learn magic… they shouldn't try to win their wish… they didn't know if the wish an other mage had would be important for more than one. They were so egoists…

_For wanting to live?_

Ashe jumped from that question her mind asked. She had never asked it before to herself although she had thought and rethought about that matter.

Suddenly, before she could give a suitable answer to herself, the door opened and a man of the family a bit older than her called her in.

'Ashe … the family leader is waiting for you'

She nodded, smiled a bit to him and entered the room. It was a small room but it hid a magnificent beauty within… and it didn't have anything inside that could be worth a lot of things, it was a just a room with books all over… and a man sitting in armchair in the middle of them.

'Come closer child' he said. His voice soft and a little weak from the years but also showed the wisdom this man possessed.

'Leader…' she said and went closer to him, then kissed his hand out of respect and sat on her knees on the floor. She had known him for fifteen years but se had never felt comfortable with him around although she held not only respect but also love for that man.

'I am here due to my lack of knowledge…' she started and waited for the man to show his answer to that. She waited to see disrespect or even anger… but his face stayed calm waiting for her to continue.

'I would like to learn more about that instrument our family holds' she finished. The man took a big breath and looked kind of tenderly the young girl.

'What do you know about it?' he asked.

'I was able to translate the ruins that were on the stone so I can understand how to read it… but when I tried it… although I did see the mage that is our enemy I must have done a mistake.' She said.

'Why do you say that?'

'Because after I took my hand from the stone… I fainted and I was at a state of death for hours… I still don't feel like I have regained my powers at their fullest back.'

'I see…' he said and close his eyes for a moment. 'Get up and go to the second pile of books from the left' he said. Ashe obeyed.

'There are ten books there, correct?'

'Yes, sir'

'One is about that instrument… a book written by hand… it's the journal of the mage that created it' he said 'There is a section that talks about it... Hold it for as long as you'd want'

'Thank you sir' Ashe said as she found the book. She went again closer the man and kissed slightly his hand again.

'Before you go… I want to ask you something Ashe' he said.

'Yes?'

'You have summoned the lion of thunder, correct?'

'Yes…' she answered not imagining what the older man would say next.

'Why didn't you ask to tell you about the instrument? He was there when it was created…'

Ashe didn't know what to say, she opened her mouth but closed it immediately.

'I just didn't think to do it' she answered

'Next time… think about it… because it's possible you won't have a second chance like you did with the instrument'

'Yes, sir' Ashe answered 'Thank you for your help and you advice'

'You are welcome'

Ashe exited the room holding the diary of her ancestor.

* * *

Yuna outside of the **B I G **house stood, watching its magnificence, sensing the power that all the people inside possessed .

_It sure is better than my S M A L __L … wait what small… T I N Y apartment._

She shook her head and didn't let pessimistic thoughts fear her or change her mind. She had to use the opportunity that was given to her. After all…

_With him only I am not powerful enough… since we have so different powers that his powers are reduced._

But with The thunder she would be able to do a lot of things! Interesting, fun things!

'I want to attack as soon as possible…' she murmured. Tidus that was trying not to look at that house that had too much power for his taste. When he heard that he turned but said nothing to her.

'What do you know about that house?'

Tidus with his back turned at her took a big breath and closed his eyes. 'It's the main house of the Dalmasca family…' he started, waiting or hoping or both that she would know about that family but she didn't have a reaction so he added 'It's one of the two families that practically founded the war… there is every decade a chosen one from the family. They usually win or reach second after the Lockharts the other family'

Even saying the name of those made him shiver. Especially at the memory of the last ones… whose power was at the other side of the town… a certain someone came to his mind but he immediately shook his head and started talking again.

'The house itself holds power that will turn against us… staying loyal to the Dalmasca blood. So if you want me to fight do it outside of those grounds to have more advantages.'

'I see… I suppose since she is from such a family she has and ways of magic to search for other mages and many information' she said thinking that she had just a few books.

'Correct they have a large library only for magic… and every chosen leaves a diary that the next ones can read so they have information and if there are winners, they can act as guiders…as to their magic… they sure do know a lot and can do a lot' he said.

'Ok then… I will do something that will attract a lot the thunder lion and its mistress… I will do a calling' she said and started walking away with her back. Tidus followed her silently looking around sadly…

_That town is so beautiful…and I usually end up dying here… my grave…_

He touched his chest where inside his heart would be found…. In this temporary body. He looked at the sun that was setting… It was a beautiful sunset… He looked directly at the sun…it did hurt but just a little… after all he wouldn't see it for long.

_Doing a calling… they will understand that you are an other chosen one… and they will come prepared…except if Squall doesn't say anything and just acts… _

He smiled slightly at the thought of his exact opposite…

_Highly possible considering what he had told us…but still even not prepared _

He glanced at Yuna.

_I have no chance._

She looked back with those strange eyes.

'Hurry up!'

'Yes… mist..' He started but then remembered that he was outside 'Miss Yuna' He run at her and they walked towards a café where they sat for about an hour waiting for the day to end.

Tidus before they walked towards where Yuna would do the calling glanced at the house.

_Strange… I am not afraid…

* * *

_

Squall heard the door opening and closing. Ashe, as he understood from her smell, walked towards him and touched his shoulder. Surprised by her calm and kind of gentle, for her, action he looked at her but his eyes fell immediately at the diary, that red small diary she held.

_It's…_

'I spoke with the leader a while ago and he gave me this… it's the diary that the creator of the instrument held that period.' She said 'You were her servant right?'

'Yes..' said in a low voice recalling those days.. centuries ago.

'Did you like her?' she asked not looking at him.

'Se was a mistress that lead me to victory' was what he said in words.

_She sure was though respectable… _he admitted in his thoughts.

'Do you like me?' she asked turning her back. Squall surprised by her question went a step back.

_Is this really Ashe?_

'I must obey you' he simply answered.

'Ok then… obey me, Stupid Cat' she said and threw him the diary… 'Tell me how this thing works safely'

'You prefer me telling you than reading your ancestors diary?' he asked holding the diary that way she could grab it back.

'Of course not!' she snapped back and as Squall hoped she grabbed the book and sat on her bed and started reading.

Suddenly Squall felt a call.. a call of someone like him… it was a calling….

_So she made her move…_

'Mistress…' he said. Ashe looked at him and was ready to say something when she stopped.

'What the…'

'We must go…' he said and grabbed her to his arms and through the open window they jumped out of the house to the cold night. Squall with high, quick and excellent jumps was in a few minutes in the sea shore where Tidus was, holding his blue sword, along with his mistress, that as Squall had guessed was his most suitable.

'What's going on?' Ashe asked Squall but then noticed the other two.

'I want what it's rightfully mine…' The other mistress said and with a move of her hand Tidus attacked. Squall took out his sword of thunder and as the two swords hit one another a big BOOM was heard and smoke appeared around.

Tidus jumped at Yuna and grabbed her, taking her a few meters away from where she was… so she wouldn't be hit by the fight.

'Try to push him in the sea… perhaps this would affect him a bit' she suggested as they landed.

'First he has to loose energy… otherwise he will go Berserk or the water will be his self destruction. But since there is water here…. I can recharge my energy' he answered back. It was a good choice that she chose the seashore…

Although he doubted about his chances of victory… he would fight…

* * *

'Tifa!' a man not older than thirty but neither younger than twenty five said as he knocked her door. She got up and opened the door. Seifer was laying on the floor.

'Yes…?' She asked.

'I found what you asked me to' he said.

'Really?'

'Yes… you will find what you want in Hollow Bastion' he said.

'Thank you!' she said and hugged from her happiness the man. He blushed a little by her sudden move but hugged her back.

'No prob! After all what cousins are for?' he laughed and she laughed back. 'Goodnight' he said.

'Goodnight Tommy' she said and closed the doors.

'Seifer…' she said. The warrior's closed eyes opened immediately at the sound of her saying her name. 'Your first opponent is at Hollow Bastion' He raised his back so he would look at her better. 'We leave tomorrow' she said and lay again at the bed.

Slightly he felt the aura during all this time… it was recharging his energy… like it knew that the battle would approach.

Then he felt the energy from a crash against two warriors… and they were near. Seifer closed his eyes and tried to understand those powers… They were exactly the opposite… It was..

_Water!_

_Tidus!_

Seifers eyes widened when he understood the opponent. The excact opposite…

_Thuder…_

_Him! Squall!_

_So it has began. One of them will die__._

He lay again down… He didn't know what to hope… He wanted Squall to not suffer… so the death of his mistress might have been what he wanted… but…

_I want to see him… if possible touch him… even if it's in a battle…_

And selfishly he wanted the second more.

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading this. Please review!

Edelin


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** I am sorry everyone... who will still read and hasn't forgotten about me and my poor story. I was away and I forgot my files and there was no way to update. I have no excuse... sorry...

**Disclaimer**: Well It is rather obvious but everything apart from the plot and Lea Lockhart are not mine.

Namine Strife - Roxas/Soul Of Abyss

Ashe Dalmasca - Squall Leonheart/ Lion Of Thunder

Tifa Lockhart - Seifer Almasy/ Cross Of Creation

Yuna Rothweller - Tidus/Star Of the Sea

Rinoa Heartilly - Riku/Wolf Of Ice

Kairi Fon Tarlien - Sora/Crown Of Ligh

Olette Everman - Axel/Flame Of Hell

**Warning**: Character death and violence

Title: My Life, Your Death (Not the best title I know)

* * *

Tidus would fight… Although he had doubts about his chances of victory.

Tidus returned to the battle… He found Squall waiting, having, like him, placed his mistress in a safe place. Squall raised his sword as Tidus did the same. Although he had the advantage, he didn't attack but rather waited for Squall to start.

Squall began started to walk slowly around with Tidus with the boy following his every move with his eyes. Tidus knew what he would do! He was going to attack suddenly and try to corner him.

But it wouldn't happen. Feeling calm from the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea, Tidus concentrated on his opponent's presence with his inner senses. He smelt him. He heard him. He felt him.

And he attacked! Tidus raised his sword and blocked the attack perfectly and then pushed him back. Then, using the opportunity he had, he attacked… It wasn't a strong hit though… He hit so Squall would go a step back to miss his attack.

And so it did happen.

Now Squall was at the edge of the water and like all cats…he detested water. So he had to get away from there as soon as possible. And to do that, he had to hit Tidus hard enough to back up for just a minute. He put a lot of energy into the sword and hitting hard. Tidus, noticing the energy in the attack, jumped back. Although the attack hadn't hit him…Squall had wasted quite a piece of energy.

They were again on the sand. Tidus was nearly smiling… It had been years since he had been able to fight like this!

Squall returned the smile. It seemed he would enjoy this event.

'You seem willing to fight,' he stated playfully.

'I am.' Tidus answered. He attacked again and Squall blocked the attack with his sword. This time there was no aftershock. They hadn't used water or thunder, so it was just a sword against a sword. 'But if you win…' he started.

'I'll end it quickly and painlessly,' Squall finished. 'Have I ever let you suffer, my friend?' he asked in a teasing voice, not so like the Squall Ashe knew.

Tidus shook his head and they both jumped back. Tidus jumped again at Squall, this time ready for a real attack. Squall raised his sword and attacked too. This time when the swords hit there was a small reaction, but not like the first one.

Squall hit again many times…using all the experience he had gained through the years, making Tidus go on the defensive. But Tidus had experience as well in defense, gained through the years, and with no difficulty he blocked the attacks, not wasting much energy.

He was waiting for an opening.

But because Squall had started to be dangerously quick, Tidus soon wouldn't be able to block his attacks that easily. So, he had to change his plans. He let Squall strike two more times and then with a movement of his free hand he threw water at Squall's eyes. Squall stopped his third attack and used his sword as a shield. But because the sword had power inside when the water touched the thunder blade, there was a strong reaction, which led to Squall having a small injury and a sword that bore a mark.

Tidus jumped back and nothing happened to him.

Before Squall could get back to reality from the shock, Tidus attacked, not letting this chance go to waste.

After all, miracles happened only once!

Squall half-blocked the attack and, due to the power of the attack and his lack of defense, he fell to the ground. Tidus was ready to hit again, but he changed his mind when he saw that Squall was ready to cast a small thunder spell.

Everything was happening so quickly!

Squall cast the spell. Tidus used the sea and teleported inside…so instead of hitting Tidus, the thunder hit a man of water, which led to another strong explosion nearly in front of Squall. Squall quickly used his sword again as a shield, but he was too close.

The sword now had a bigger problem… A hit like that again and it would break if Squall didn't restore it. And as if this wasn't enough…there was a burn on Squall's left hand.

Squall got up and looked at the sea. Tidus underneath was floating, recharging his energy.

Things were going unexpectedly well.

Tidus inside the sea was safe… Squall wouldn't do anything because if he did…the outcome would be disastrous for the sea and everything connected to it. The fish, the plants inside, the ships and the balance of nature would be destroyed.

He wouldn't dare.

Squall outside restored with his own energy his sword. He was in a really bad situation right now.

Suddenly Tidus began to fade… He came out of the water and then to the shore… One arm was nearly lost. Squall looked at him and then at his arm, which was fading.

For a moment they looked at each other and Tidus suddenly fell to the ground. Squall threw his half-restored sword and ran to his friend's side.

'You kept your promise…' Tidus said and half smiled. He had lost one leg now.

'No…' Squall said sadly, and felt some tears in his eyes. 'I didn't do anything!' he said .

'Still, it's painless… And compared to other deaths, it's quick and…' He took a breath. Now he had lost his other leg. '…it gets quicker.'

'You were great!' Squall said proudly. 'For me, this time you won! You were the best.'

'No… You are.' Tidus said weakly and raised his hand to touch Squall's face. As he touched his cheek, the hand started fading.

'See you again…' The hand was lost. It was just the chest and the head now.

'At home…' Just the shoulders with the neck and the head.

'My friend…' The neck. On Tidus' face there was a small tear.

'Thanks for the great match,' and he was lost.

Squall stayed there, looking at the place where Tidus was a while ago. He touched the sand he was lying on… It was slightly wet… He smiled soothingly at the feeling of the sand.

_It wasn't fair… This time… He should have won… He tried so hard._

He got up and jumped to the place where he felt his mistress… He found her where he had left her, holding a stone covered in blood. And then at her feet lay the brown-haired mistress with his powers. She wore a cold expression now that she was dead.

Ashe stood there with a strange look, one that Squall couldn't understand. He went closer and she looked directly at him, then at her hands that had blood. The stone fell. It struck the girl's head. Ashe then turned her gaze to the sky.

Squall went closer… They had to leave. Ashe's face was known in the city … If anyone saw her, they would recognize her immediately. Squall kneeled and gently took the stone from the girl and then closed her eyes, one green, one blue.

_I am sure he liked them a lot._

Ashe laughed loudly and looked at Squall with happiness.

'I won!' she announced proudly.

'I noticed,' he answered coldy, feeling sick at her feelings towards someone's death. The warrior was clearly angry with his mistress and felt his body trembling from that feeling.

'I won,' she said, whispering, again…

Squall, holding the stone, said in a bitter voice, 'Would you like to keep her or should I throw it in the sea?'

Confused she turned at him. 'Hm?'

'The stone,' Squall repeated and showed it to her.

'Oh… Whatever you want,' she said. If Squall had not liked this woman before, now he detested her! With that stone she had killed and according to this reaction…it must had been her first murder. Squall went to the beach and threw the stone that killed the girl…

Destroyed the attempt Tidus had made.

Stolen his victory.

Ashe shouldn't act like she did… She should have at least showed that the stone deserved an opinion.

_Whatever you want…_

He went to her again, who was still smiling and had started to turn around herself. He took her in his arms and brought her into her room. She had calmed down a bit from the jumps and the view, and she slept immediately.

* * *

Seifer smiled as Tidus' power started to increase and then faded completely.

He had won!

Not that Tidus had ever stood a chance but…Seifer had been worried.

'Mistress…' he started.

'What?' Tifa asked.

'A warrior and a mage are dead,' he announced trying to sound indiferent.

Tifa sat up, surprised. 'Really? Who? Can you tell?'

'The warrior that died was the Star of the Sea,' Seifer answered.

'And who killed him?'

'The Lion of Thunder.'

'So Dalmasca made her move first,' she said. 'But it doesn't matter…since I will kill her,' and she closed her eyes. 'Goodnight Seifer... Rest. Tomorrow it's our turn.'

'Yeah…' he said.

* * *

On the next morning Tifa and Seifer woke up at dawn. Tifa took another change of clothes and with Seifer she climbed into a car and they went to Hollow Bastion. With the train it would be two hours, but with the car two and a half hours. Tifa had decided to use the car since they would be more comfortable.

Of course, she didn't drive. One of the drivers of the family did that, Seifer and Tifa sitting comfortably at the back. During the journey they didn't speak… They just listened to music, which Tifa liked.

When they reached their destination, Tifa and Seifer got out. She had booked a room in a hotel for a night. If need be, she would keep it for two nights.

The driver left… Tifa would notify her family immediately when the other mage, who hadn't activated her powers nor knew of them, had died. So they would send a car the next day to take them. Hollow Bastion was, after all, quite small compared to their city and she wasn't here for a vacation but for work.

It would be easy.

They went inside the room where there was one big bed for two. Seifer was ready to go and sit in a corner, but Tifa stopped him.

'Do you feel where the mage would be?'

'Yes… Also, there is a high possibility that there is more than one here,' Seifer answered.

'If you kill one tonight, I will let you sleep on the bed… Just for a change,' she whispered in his ear.

He looked at her black eyes and nodded.

* * *

Seifer walked with Tifa in the streets… His powers told him that a mage must have been towards the ruins of a castle…

_Perfect! It can end even sooner than I believed._

If she was there alone…it would end quickly. Tifa pitied the girl for being born as she had been into a family that couldn't teach her what her true nature was. But even despite that…Tifa had no trouble killing the girl, even if it was just for being born.

Seifer followed his senses and soon they were outside of the town in a small park…isolated from everyone. It was close enough, though, that a scream could be heard.

_In that case I must make sure it will end so quickly she won't even notice…_

They saw a girl with short black hair, wearing black clothes. She had a ribbon in her hair and all her appearance reminded Tifa of ninjas she had seen when she was watching movies. She was talking on her cell phone. Seifer was ready to attack but Tifa stopped him. They hid behind a tree.

'Let her finish… The one she talks to may do anything.'

Seifer nodded in understanding.

They stood there listening to the girl.

'Are there any chances… that he could… you know?' she asked in a trembling voice. She stood there and her face had a pitiful expression.

'How long did the doctors say?' The answer must have been not nice since she began crying.

'Only a month?'

'Isn't there a treatment?'

'I see,' she said. 'I will come immediately,' and closed the phone.

She walked towards the city but Seifer grabbed her around the waist with his left hand and closed her mouth with the other. He threw her on the ground and Tifa closed her mouth with her hand so it wouldn't hung.

'Now,' she said to her warrior, and with a movement of his hand a sword appeared. The girl's eyes widened at the sight of the sword and she tried to get up. Tifa grew from the ground some plants and they held the girl tightly. Seifer raised his sword to strike with power, aiming at the girl's stomach. The girl died after a minute.

There was blood on Seifer's shirt and on Tifa's face and hand. Her eyes, now just two orbs that held no life, showed the last feeling she had felt: terror. Tifa closed them and got up.

'There is water there,' Seifer said and pointed to a small tap.

'Isn't it dangerous to stay here?' she asked.

'It is.' the warrior answered.

'So?'

'You should wash your face and hand ,then we will return to the hotel,' Seifer said.

'But if you walk in the streets with that shirt…' she started but then, amazed, saw Seifer creating a new shirt exactly like the one he wore.

'I am the Cross of Creation' he said simply. 'Creating is my technique.'

'Nice!' Tifa said and ran to the tap. Seifer changed shirts and threw the old one in a trash bin. Tifa returned clean.

'I will keep it in my bag, if you want, and at home we can have it cleaned?' she suggested.

'I don't mind… Creating a new one is, as I said, nothing for me.'

'Okay then… Let's go,' she said.

'Not like that.' he said when she started to walk towards the town.

'Then how?'She was clearly confused and a little afraid of what would happen next.

'Like this.' he said, grabbed her and jumped high. He disappeared into the forest nearby and went towards the other side of the town, where they entered and headed towards the hotel.

'By the way, Seifer…' Tifa started. 'Do you feel still the presence of a mage?'

'Yes, but not enough to tell now where she may be,' he said. Tifa smiled. 'But if we stay at least for the night… I may be able to locate where she is.'

Tifa's smile grew wider.

'Okay then…' she said, 'and tonight you sleep on the bed.'

Things were great… If she killed another one…this 'trip' would be an H U G E success.

* * *

Olette Everman, a cheerful fifteen-year-old girl who lived in Twilight Town, was running in the forest… She was trying to find her cousin Aeris to say goodbye, but it seemed that it was useless to search anymore. When Aeris didn't want to be found, she wouldn't. She had come for the weekend to see her and she would return for a week after school ended.

'Gosh, where could she have gone?' she asked herself as she walked towards the town. She had gone to the old castle, a place her cousin liked to go, to find her, but nothing came from it. Being in the forest was dangerous but…if she went through the road…then it would take her more than an hour and she had to leave in an hour and a half.

_Well, after all…I have used the forest many times during my stays here…and I am still alive… What could happen?_

She kept walking until she was nearly at the edge of the forest. After that there was a park that wasn't used anymore but many couples still went there or people that wanted to be alone. From there, Olette needed five minutes to get to the house, so she had needed thirty minutes for all the way.

Much better than an hour. She had an hour to spare… Perhaps Aeris would come eventually…

As she was at forest though … kind of behind a big rock that existed she had seen from above the park. The route she used led her to a small edge that she, as a girl who liked roofs and, with her two best friends, liked to spend her afternoons on the clocktower, had no problem jumping safely down on the ground.

She saw a girl being pushed down onto the ground by a blond man and suddenly a beautiful young woman with black hair covering her mouth. Olette would have helped her, if the next thing the man did wasn't to have in his hand, out of nowhere, a huge sword.

The woman said something, but because Olette wasn't near, she wasn't able to hear it. But Olette was actually happy she wasn't near enough.

The girl tried to defend herself but it was, as it seemed, not worth it because another thing happened…which scared and shocked Olette even more…

The ground…. From the ground plants grew and held the girl tightly. There Olette closed her eyes, and the last thing she saw was the man raising his sword.

She tried her best not to scream and she actually managed it. She knew that they hadn't seen her, nor heard her, so she quickly went a step back and was ready to leave, but when she opened her eyes again she saw the same man, who had blood on him, create a shirt exactly like the one he wore with no blood on.

Olette had seen enough…. She turned and silently she ran into the forest. She looked behind as she ran and due to that she hit her head hard on a branch of a tree, but she didn't lose consciousness. Dizzy, weak yet able, with a lot of effort, to get up, she touched her head… There was blood.

At first she wanted to scream, but then she turned and noticed that she was in an unknown area of the forest…an area where animals might appear. She heard something from behind and looked slowly back. There were five wolves.

_This is not my lucky day…_

She started running aimlessly, knowing that the wolves were able to reach her, but even if she was able to run faster they would find her by the smell of her blood. She ran and ran and her head went from bad to worse.

She couldn't see well now… She could barely stand and her legs were slower with every step, heavier with every step. She stopped and fell on the ground… She looked back and saw the wolves approach… One went slowly closer and then jumped at her. She raised her hands and closed her eyes, waiting to die, but unexpectedly nothing happened.

She opened her eyes and saw fire around her. The wolves were running away and through the flames there was…a man.

A man with spiked red hair wearing a long black cloak; he had two red lines on each cheek. The flames around her went smaller and the man approached her. She couldn't take anything anymore… This was too much for her to handle… She couldn't even raise her head anymore… Her eyes closed although she did try to have them open …

But it was no use…

* * *

When she woke up, she was on the ground with the man sitting on a rock next to her. She tried to get up, but she was still dizzy. The man went closer to her and sat beside her.

'Are you feeling better?' he asked.

'Yeah…' she said and touched her head… Then she looked at the man's face. She noticed his green eyes immediately. 'What happened?'

'You fainted,' he answered.

'What happened with the fire?'

'Nothing to worry about, just scared some wolves'

'Mmm…' Then suddenly she remembered. She got up immediately. 'The train!' she said, her legs weren't able to hold her that easily, but she managed to find her balance. 'How long was I sleeping?'

'About twenty minutes…' he answered.

'Ah… Thank God, I still can catch it,' she said. 'By the way, can you lead me out of the forest?'

'Yeah…' he answered.

'How long will it take?'

'About five minutes.'

'Really?' she asked and sighed. 'I can make it!'

The man got up as well… There was kind of a big difference in height.

'Okay…Can we go? I really need to catch the train,' she said, but then she suddenly stopped. The memory of the girl dying…the man…the woman and the realization that the fire in a way was controlled made her look back at the man. 'Um… Who are you, sir?'

'Axel, the Flame of Hell, got it memorized? 'Cause I am really important to you from now on,' he said.

'The flame of what? Important?' she asked.

'I will explain later… Now we need to go to the town,' he said and grabbed her. She was ready to hit him, but the man jumped and went above the higher trees and landed some meters away in the forest and jumped again. Olette hugged him tightly and felt her heart beat fast from the speed and the height. Soon they landed on a small road.

He let her go and she landed on the ground, touching her chest.

'Oh My God… Oh My God….'

'Don't you have to hurry for that train?' Axel asked.

'Yeah…' she said and went to the main road. Luckily it was the road where Aeris lived. She ran to the house and opened the door, totally forgetting about the man. As she closed the door and turned, the man's face was right in front of hers.

'Ahh!' she screamed.

'What?'

'You scared me! Next time warn me, please' she said, wondering if there would be a next time. 'Umm, well, I need to get my bag and in ten minutes go to the station…. I have to get tickets you know,' she added.

'Okay' he said and he followed her wherever she went.

'Hey…Sir Axel… Why do you follow me all the time?'

'Um, because I am supposed to do that...' he said. 'Mistress.'

Olette was ready to laugh, but according to Axel's face this wasn't a joke.

'Follow me? And why `Mistress`?'

'Because you are in danger and the one that called me,' he answered.

'What danger? Why would anyone want to harm me? And I am sorry, but I met you today,' she said and walked towards the living room where she had left her bag. She took it on her shoulder and was ready to exit the house, with Axel always behind her.

'What do you know about magic?' he asked.

'That it doesn't exist. Now get out because I have to close the house and I can't let a stranger in.'

_In the first place you shouldn't even be in!_

'If I tell you that it does, what will you say?'

She didn't turn.'Go see a doctor' she answered like it was the most obvious thing to say.

_I knew that something was wrong with him._

Suddenly her cell phone rang. 'Yes, Mom?' she said as she picked it up.

'Hey honey! How are you?'

'I am fine. You?' She didn't plan on telling about the things she had seen today, and she would find an explanation for her head.

'I am okay, and your dad too.'

'Nice! I am going to the station now,' she said.

'Oh yeah! I called you because your father and I have to go to Traverse for work.'

'For how long?' she asked after a small pause.

'At least a month,' her mother said. 'But since school ends in a week you can stay at your cousin's. After all, you are a big girl now… You can manage. Anyway, if you go home, lock up at night and take care… If not, kiss Aeris for me. Bye!'

'Mom?' Olette said, but no use. She closed the phone and looked at Axel. 'Still here?'

'I told you…. I must protect you.'

'From what?'

'From mages. Do you have time to let me explain?'

Olette looked at the man and, without knowing why, she let him tell her what he did have to. They went to the living room and sat there. Since her parents wouldn't wait for her, she could get the next train.

* * *

'Are you sure you don't need a doctor?' she asked.

_I am the one that hit my head; he is the one that says nonsense._

'Yes… I don't,' he answered.

Olette thought of all the things she had gone through today… The man and the woman… What they did, how they did it. She had watched a murder that happened in the most un-normal way, she had been saved by Axel and in a magical way she had had a ring of fire around her. Not to mention that that fire didn't burn the forest. And now she was learning from that strange savior that she was a mage who would take place in a war and Axel was there to help her win, and to do that she had to, like the woman, kill the other nine mages.

_Well since one is for sure dead… That leaves eight, but how many may have already died?_

'Be happy that you are alive, idiot!' a voice inside her said firmly and Olette shook her head.

'Let's say I believe you,' she said and Axel looked at her with hope. 'That means that you can do supernatural things, right?'

'Right.'

'They are connected with Fire, I presume.'

'Correct.'

'Can you light that candle?' she asked and took from the table a candle. Aeris liked them a lot and had dozens in the house. He didn't answer, just looked at her. 'Can you?'

'I just did' he said and to Olette's amazement the candle was lit up.

'Okay… I believe you.'

* * *

'Cloud, you stop that!' Naminé yelled at her brother, who once more was being the stubborn guy. 'Why is it MY fault that HE called?'

'If he called, it means that you gave him the right to call!' Cloud answered back. Naminé took a big breath with desperation and looked at her brother.

'Listen… We live in a country where people are equals. If he wants to call me, he can. From there, whether I will answer or what I will say to him is my business,' she said. 'But I can say a thousand times the same things, and he can call, trying again for whatever he wants'

'This is no time for that!' he said after a while. 'There are freaks outside that may want to deceive you and then kill you.' Naminé threw her hands up and touched her head.

'Oh, for God's sake Cloud! I have known that guy since kindergarten!'

'That doesn't change a thing!'

'Please use your head, at least for once!' she screamed back and turned her back on him, walking away.

'Oh no! You won't end this that easily, young lady! We haven't finished,' he yelled at her.

'Oh yes, we have!' she yelled back. 'Roxas!' she called. The blond warrior went out of her room. 'We are going out!'

'Oh no, you don't!' Cloud said following her.

'Oh yes, we do!' They were standing in front of each other, shouting.

'If I say you don't, it means you don't!'

'If I say we do, it means we do!'

'Oh no!

'Oh yes!'

Roxas, who was standing nearer, went a step closer.

'Um, excuse me, but will we go?' he asked.

'Yes!' Naminé said at the same time Cloud said 'No!'

'Why do you always do exactly the opposite of what you should?' Cloud asked.

'Cloud you are overreacting! I don't like that guy!' she said and suddenly calmed down. 'But even if I did, I am fifteen. It's normal to have interests and stuff. Why can't you understand it?'

Cloud stood there gaping at his sister with his mouth half-open. She never talked like that! It was the first time she had mentioned the possibility of liking someone, of wanting to date, to have a relationship. Cloud of course knew that one day she would be with someone but still… It felt so soon. To his eyes she was so small…

'If you don't close it, bees might get in,' Roxas said, who was completely forgotten.

'Who talked to you, brat?' he asked, getting angry again.

Roxas raised his shoulders but Naminé, being already very angry, had another outburst.

'Don't call him `brat`! He is here to help me and I don't want anyone calling him anything.' Roxas kind of blushed, being happy that she defended him. He half-smiled behind Cloud's back. 'And after all, you are the brat!'

She opened the door and Roxas ran to her and then she slammed it hard.

Well, that was part of the life Naminé and Roxas were living from the day she summoned him, or in other words for a week. Roxas had started enjoying Naminé's company quite a lot and she seemed to enjoy his a lot. He was relaxed around Naminé and Cloud in a way. Well, more with Naminé but even the fights with Cloud had become like a daily habit that he enjoyed. It was the simple things he liked to do with them…. Naminé was also a good student who easily got the point and succeeded in casting small spells… And when they were together he felt comfortable.

But still he didn't let himself show comfort… He kept a distance and tried to raise barriers with the two siblings. But even the small arguments with Cloud were just for stupid things that they forgot after five minutes. With Cloud though there was a tension in the air, but with Naminé… Things were completely different. She was so good, gentle and caring. He couldn't help but like her. He had started to watch her and notice all her habits. Her reactions, her likes and hates. When she slept she hugged her waist with one hand and she placed her other hand under her pillow… She sighed when Cloud was stubborn and looked around when she felt desperate with him or people generally. When she was annoyed she closed her eyes and slightly moved her fingers.

He watched her with her brother, how close they were… How much they loved each other, despite the fights and the arguments, the words and the actions… Everything showed love. Many times he silently stood in the shadows and watched them together, playing, chatting, watching TV, eating….

_In the shadows…where I belong…_

One night he wondered if he would have moments like that with someone, anyone…if he didn't carry the burden of being a warrior. He shook off the idea immediately…. It was not normal to _feel. _Not for him… and not for her. He remembered the consequences of that action… The truth that couldn't be ignored after all these years… Facts that stood in the way of even trying to feel.

But mostly if he felt, the one he had feelings of any kind for shouldn't learn about them and shouldn't feel for him. Because the outcome would be just…just… **Pain.**

A small word, just four letters, that was something no one could escape from and an enemy only a brave heart could accept and live with… or as others believed to go on. An enemy that could strike anyone, that spared no one. Roxas believed in that enemy as the greatest…because that enemy, his most known companion, had for years invaded inside his soul, had eaten his being and left an empty shell.

Naminé looked out of the corner of her eye at Roxas, who was walking next to her, staring at the floor with those blue eyes…that hid so much. Naminé wanted to comfort him, but as she watched him…in his deep sadness…something prevented her from acting.

It was a thought like 'Who am I to do anything?'

'But what makes you exist more than pain?' In a dark room in another town far away from Twilight, a person with the power of the mind that surpassed all the others, whispered hearing the thoughts of a certain warrior in her mind.

That pale skin…

Those black eyes…

That…

* * *

I am not sure if I like the ending... it seems a little awkward. What do you think?

Also I know that some characters are a little OOC and some (Seifer) are very OOC. I am just stating facts I know.

Lastly this was edited by Anonymous XII.

And if there are still people out there that will read this... leave a review... like a welcome back gift?

Have a good day!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: **Ok... well this time I will update two chapters together so things will speed up a little.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

These chapters were edited by Anonymous XII

Title: Visitors From The Past

* * *

'_Ha ha ha ha!' __a young girl laughed. She was laughing __uproariously, not being able to stop. 'Oh Seifer… You made me laugh for good today,' she said and held her waist._

'_It isn't funny!' Seifer said and turned his back to the black haired girl, who was still laughing. After a while she stopped and looked at the man's back._

'_Oh, don't be angry with me!' she said and placed her hands on her hipst. _

'_I am not angry!' he answered and turned at the girl, who had a 'serious' face that made him smile for a moment._

'_What? Am I funny and you laugh?' she asked like she was offended._

'_Ν__o, mistress… It's just difficult to see the mage that killed another mistress last night…that easily…so quickly, and at the same time to see the sixteen year old Lockhart that jokes about simple things…Even for me,' he said and he looked down._

'_Do I make you feel uncomfortable?' she asked in a light tone, although the question was more than serious. Lea knew that if Seifer couldn't work with her…this would probably cause problems for their results._

'_No, not at all…Just now that I speak with you I am not afraid that you may kill me just for fun, while…' he said, but didn't finish the sentence, regretting that he had even started this conversation… It could lead to Lea getting angry and insulted and him hurt._

'_While?' she said, wanting him to continue. 'Speak freely… I will not harm you, even if you say something offensive towards me.'_

_Seifer looked for a moment into her black eyes and then away… 'While last night I was shaking in terror just by looking at you and anytime you moved I felt that you would do more that just harm me… Maybe more than just kill me.'_

_Lea for a moment__ didn't react, but after a while smiled and looked at the ceiling. 'Okay, first, I am not offended…maybe a little flattered… Now last night I wasn't intending to scare you but our enemies, and come on, I am just sixteen… A simple mortal, what can I do to you that is worse than death…? You are overestimating my powers… I can't do anything like that…yet,' she said and sat on her bed. 'And as long as we work together I have no reason to hurt you…If I did it would cause more trouble to me…So being who I am and thinking of my advantages, I would do nothing.'_

'_Yes, Mistress' he said and got up…He walked towards the corner where he slept and sat there, refusing to look again into her eyes._

_Lea wa__tched with a grin and eyes that had a strange expression the blond man… Her grin became a smile of satisfaction… She had once again proven her abilities to herself…_

_._

_._

_._

_._

'_Oh Seifer,' she said and walked towards the man, who was on his knees. 'You must have suffered a lot, you are alone.' She kneeled and placed her face next to his. 'Completely alone, forever alone,' she continued, whispering into his ear. Seifer looked at her with a surprised look mixed with desperation. The girl smiled and caressed his neck. 'Oh my poor warrior…It brings you to your knees when you think of yourself. I bet a part of you has grown so cold…Maybe even turned to stone.' She got up, not releasing eyes. He was staring at the floor now but Lea knew that his attention was ultimately hers. 'Or you want it that way… Maybe I am an exception and we talk like that and to all the previous ones you showed the stone hearted warrior that you want to be, it's best to be.'_

_Seifer's whole body was tensed from the overflowing feelings that were ready to burst, sealed away all those centuries inside his incomplete existence. He turned slowly to her with a face that a frightened abandoned child has when they seek someone for protection. Lea was there looking at him from behind with her black eyes. He slowly went with his back closer to her till he was against her legs._

'_You are the first person that has understood me so well, my mistress,' he said with closed eyes. Lea touched his head._

'_I am sure they, the others, understand too…Better than me.'_

'_No, they are not people…as I am not…and it is far greater for you, that have never felt that curse, to understand me so well. You saw through me so much.' _

_._

_._

_._

_._

'_Mistress?' he asked and went closer to the fallen girl, who was holding her bleeding arm__, looking down with anger and embarrassment._

'_Can you carry me to my bedroom?' she asked as light rain started falling._

'_Of course mistress… Don't worry… I won't let anyone harm you… I will protect you.'_

'_For how long?' she asked and looked at him with a pitiful yet human face._

'_For as long as I can.'_

'_Then not for long…' she whispered. He took her into his arms and brought her to her room where he laid her on the bed. He sat on the floor next to her and looked out of the corner of his eye, pale and cold. She slowly relaxed enough to sleep or she was so exhausted that she couldn't do otherwise. Seifer stayed awake taking care of her arm and guarding her…That little, still naïve girl… That little mistress of his._

'_But we won.'_

_Early in the morning the next day she woke up and slowly looked around. Her body hurt so bad… She looked at her hands that were covered in scratches… Her arm hurt as she lifted it but she could handle it. Then she remembered… Last night she was attacked and although she had won… It was scary… The warrior, the soul of Abyss he was called, vanished a moment before he killed her… Seifer saved her. She saw him on the floor sitting with his head resting on the edge of the bed. She touched his hair softly._

'_What?' he reacted immediately._

'_Relax… Sleep now…' she said, caressing his head. She got up and with effort she was able to stand. Seifer, next to her, seemed ready to catch her if she was about to fall. 'Go to the bed… After you change though. You must be exhausted from last night's battle,' she said and sat on a chair. Seifer shook his head fiercely._

'_No, mistress. I will be on the floor… Your place is on the bed,' Seifer said and lay down. Lea looked at him with a smile on her face that slowly vanished._

'_For as long as I can.'_

'_Then not for long.'_

And I don't want someone else to depend on, my dear warrior… So if I want to survive, to be a real winner… I have to take care of the enemies personally myself.

_Seife__r with closed eyes felt an aura surround him. This aura, now new yet familiar in an odd way, was making him sleep._

_Lea went closer to her fallen slave, her handsome warrior._

From now on I hunt…and you are my guide, my tutor and a weapon. My powerful weapon.

_._

_._

_._

_._

Seifer woke up in sweat after these dreams… Memories… He looked around and saw Tifa sleeping on the bed. He was on the floor next to her bed…

_Like then…_

He remembered that night so clearly… Lea's first victory… A victory that scarred her… That made her so strong…

The victory that stole his little mistress and gave him the unbeatable Lea with the chilling aura…

It was that night when she lost her innocence. That night…

After that her attitude slowly changed… She was until the end friendly with him and all…on the days they didn't fight, but in the battles…he felt not needed…lower than her. A smile appeared on his face…

Even now when he thought of her, he saw deep inside the girl that laughed during their first days… The smile that he had seen dying day by day and was totally lost when she won.

The first memory was before the end of their great battle.

The second was the moment he adored her…admired…more than anyone…for just understanding him…for having so much power over him.

And the third was…when he lost her.

* * *

'A week has passed and only three have died!' a strange male voice said.

'I know,' Lea said. Her room was dark and she sat on a chair holding a small knife… A knife that had an angel on its base.

'How can you say it so calmly? We don't have time!' the man exclaimed angrily.

'They will die soon…' she said.

'What if they are late?' he asked.

'If they don't do it quickly… I'll take action,' she said and looked at the sky… It was almost time… She had only two weeks till then.

'I hope you won't forget our agreement!' the man exclaimed.

'No… If you show me the way to the opening…I will give you a body and let you live for a human life,' she said.

'And will I be able to die?' he asked.

'Probably,' she answered and went on her bed.

'What do you mean by probably?' he asked suspicious.

'A lot may happen…' she said and closed her eyes.

'What may happen?' he asked, but there was no answer. 'Lea!'

* * *

Kairi was in her room holding a book…her first book that had taught her magic. Sora was sitting on the bed reading a comic and listening to music. She had such a great time those days they shared the room… It was like she had a best friend. They even got out… Sora was something more than an angel… He was so much like Zack and so different. The perfect warrior to represent light. In the beginning she even wondered if she would have a crush on him… But no… What he did was so much more. He was a friend… A best friend. He was better than Zack.

'Hey, Kairi!' Sora said. The book fell from her hands and she jumped from the surprise. She was that lost in her thoughts. '…Are you okay? You look pale…' he said, worried, and ran to her.

'I am okay… I was a bit spaced out… That's all,' she said.

'Were you thinking about him again?' he asked.

'No… Why?'

'You usually are like that…when you think of him…and that's a daily activity,' he said and smiled.

'Oh, sorry for worrying you…' she said, but suddenly she felt something. Strangely her powers had improved drastically this week.

'You felt it too?' he asked.

'Yes…' she said.

'Zack and your father are coming… We better show how concentrated we are…' he said and got up, stood behind her and she grabbed the book she was holding, opened it in the middle and stared at it. 'Oh, and Kairi...' Sora whispered as they waited for the door to open, 'relax… I am with you and I will be till the end of this,' he said.

'Thanks…' she said, and her father entered the room with Zack behind him, who had a look of sadness mixed with anxiety.

'Yes, father?' Kairi asked, sounding as relaxed as she could, not daring to look away from the book.

'What are you doing?' he asked.

'Reading, as you see,' she answered and closed the book, 'or at least I was.' Her father for a moment didn't speak… This was such a un–Kairi answer. Zack from behind had the same thought.

'Look in my eyes and answer me. Have you progressed with the war?'

Kairi looked up at him and she felt herself shake for a moment, but she couldn't give up now… She had started a fight… She had to continue it for Sora. For her…

'Everything is fine, father… Don't worry, I am still alive,' she said and got up. 'When I'm not breathing anymore, I bet Zack will inform you, but even if he doesn't, sooner or later you'll find out about it.'

'How dare you talk to me like that?' he asked. Zack, with his mouth half open, looked at Kairi, who stood with her back straight.

'How dare I express my opinion?' she asked. Sora from behind smiled at her answer and looked at the man.

'As you dared to treat like a simple human, the Holy user of this decade,' Sora answered. Kairi looked at him and smiled.

'I wasn't about to say that… but anyway.'

Her father completely lost the ground under his feet. He looked at his daughter and then at the spiked-brown-haired boy, who was looking straight into his eyes like he was saying `now I have control`.

'You! You! It's your fault that she behaves like that. You turned her against me,' he said and approached the boy. He pushed Kairi aside and grabbed Sora by the collar. 'How dare you?' he said and Sora smiled.

'Because I am close to her while you are not. And I saw the Holy user inside Kairi… I saw her light and I just have to help her shine and her chances of surviving are increased.' Sora grabbed the man's hand and removed it from his collar. 'While you did the only thing that could destroy her, that could destroy any human being: you shut her up.'

Zack, who no one took notice of right now, moved away from the two and grabbed Kairi, who was shaking from all the things she felt.

'Why did you do that?' he whispered.

'Because I deserve better than this… I have every right to claim a life full of happiness,' she answered and touched his hands that were on her waist. 'And I am the holy user… To be able to fight I need to be happy… To shine. Inside this place, under the current circumstances, I will certainly die.'

'Kairi…' Zack started.

'At least I want to die trying to be the real me… A happy me' she said.

'If anything happens, contact me to help you,' he whispered.

'KAIRI!' her father screamed. 'What are you doing? Punish him for speaking to me, his mistress's father, like that'

'No, father… I will not,' she said and gathered all her courage to look straight into his eyes. 'I will praise him for fighting for me so loyally.'

'What?' he asked.

'The only person that made me feel unworthy of everything was you, the one I loved so much,' she said and walked towards him. 'But Sora is right. I am the holy user… To be able to do my best I have to shine and for that I need to be happy. To be confident about my abilities,' she said and controlled herself so she wouldn't cry. 'So I can at least die with dignity…because that's how I wish to end if I don't win.'

'Kairi?'

'You probably now think… The brat dared to talk… To oppose me… You think I speak nonsense…or you don't understand what I say… But I really don't care…as you don't care about me and my life. But I do! I love myself and I will not allow anyone to destroy that special feeling,' she said and turned her back on him. 'In an hour I will have gathered my stuff. I'll just take some books and some clothes, then we'll leave.'

'We?' he asked.

'Sora and I,' she answered.

'But you can't be alone with a boy!' he said.

'This doesn't concern you anymore,' she said. Her father fell on his knees on the floor and looked at Kairi, who took a bag and put her most necessary things in. Zack went closer to the man while Sora looked at him with a pitying look.

'Get up, Uncle… Go downstairs,' Zack said and helped the man get a hold of him. They walked to the door and the man looked at Kairi sadly. Zack pushed him gently out and closed the door while he exited too.

'I know you won't believe me… But I truly didn't want things to end up like that,' he said and continued on his way.

Zack looked at the closed door… A smile appeared on his face. At last… She was free.

* * *

Roxas was walking in a forest one sunny day… He was walking on a path… A path that led him even deeper in the forest. But he didn't care… He didn't feel… He wanted to continue walking…to find the end of this path. The trees were more alive than at any other time… They were telling him to keep walking. He looked straight ahead and he recognized a familiar glade. He ran there but although he ran as fast as he could… He couldn't reach it…. The moment he was ready to enter, the glade was far away again. He stopped, tired, and looked at it from afar.

'Go. Go… You must go… Something there is waiting for you,' the trees whispered.

'Huh… You talk?' he asked.

'You know where you are… Go!' they insisted. Roxas took a big breath and ran. This time he reached it. He walked in, looking around. As he turned, his gaze fell on a certain tree… On the bottom of it there was written something. He went closer to see it.

_Elfrein Vander_

_Died at the age of twenty five._

Don't ever wonder…

In your depths I'll be lost…

The lonely soul I will follow…

Roxas touched the tombstone…. She died that young… Were those words for him?

He closed his eyes and let tears escape… When he opened them he was in a dark room. In the beginning he didn't understand, but then he looked at Naminé, who was sleeping on her bed. He looked again at the dark room.

That night Roxas cried… For his lost life… For his incomplete existence. For the thought that all the people he met in this world were bound with a curse…the curse he represented…he carried. He suffered from.

* * *

Naminé woke up and stared at the room… Roxas was not here. She sensed him near but couldn't see him. She opened the light and looked at the clock. It was 1:00 in the morning. She got up and went to search for him in the house. He was in the living room, sitting on the sofa, staring at the floor. She walked slowly to him from behind, noticed his face…

Was he crying?

She was ready to touch his shoulder but stopped.

_What if he thinks I am messing with his business? What if he gets angry?_

She pushed those thoughts away and lowered her hand. She was ready to turn and return to her room when he turned and looked at her. He took her hand and pulled her gently closer to him.

'You don't have to go,' he whispered.

'Do you want to be alone?' she asked.

'I was always alone…and I walk a lonely road. It's nice to have breaks from that loneliness,' he answered, still holding her hand.

'Then I guess I'll stay,' she said and sat next to him. He slowly let go of her hand and stared again at the floor. 'You didn't have a good sleep, right?'

'Actually I had a very sad dream,' he said.

'I see… And it upset you enough to not be able to sleep again?'

He nodded. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He really was sad. 'You know…when my parents died I was like that… I had sad dreams… I didn't feel pain or anything but I was sad and couldn't sleep. Cloud then came to me and tried to help me by telling me he was hurt too. And we would always face problems together…and we would enjoy the peaceful days that are to come after the storm has ended and there are no tears left,' she said.

'I believe sadness is a kind of pain… Different because you don't usually understand how it came or when and why you feel it but it's there. And with the years it becomes a permanent condition and after that comes the downfall… You feel that your body is dead… You feel it and you don't. In the beginning you try to avoid thinking it, but as time passes it becomes stronger… It demands your whole attention and when you have given it…you start losing your life energy and then you end up in suicide.'

'Suicide?'

'Yeah… You don't want to live. Some might destroy their bodies as well, but even if they don't… Their spirit is dead because of how they chose to live and that's also killing yourself,' he explained.

'Now I think I won't be able to sleep…' Naminé said. 'Anyway…suicide is a sin… No one has the right to end any life… Not even his. That's why suicide for me is murder.'

'Who murdered who?'

'A part of you, hidden deep inside the soul, killed the you which you lived with till now.'

Roxas closed his eyes and smiled at her answer. 'You really are mature,' he said and looked at her… 'And very beautiful.'

Naminé blushed at his comment. She looked down then with a sad look. 'Can I ask you something?' she asked.

'Yeah… Whatever you want,' he answered.

'Why were you crying when I came? Is it connected with the dream?' she asked.

Roxas looked into her eyes and then bit his bottom lip… 'I must answer right?'

'No… You don't have to,' she said quickly. 'But I'd really be happy if you told me,' she added.

Roxas smiled at her words. 'You are a good girl… a very good girl.' He caressed her hair and slightly her neck 'I was crying for who I am and what I couldn't have.'

Naminé looked down for a moment and then smiled again at his blue eyes she liked so much. 'I hope one day I'll be honored with learning more… But, well, now I am a stranger…so this is enough.' She got up and went towards her room mumbling, 'Goodnight.'

'Before you go… I want to tell you something, or rather ask you something?' She stopped and turned to him.

'What?'

'What do you think I am to you?'

'My savior,' she answered honestly and went to her room.

* * *

_Flashback_

'_Squall… You know what to do okay?' Ashe said. They were in Hollow Bastion where they had detected a mage that hadn't summoned her warrior. In a day two mages were dead. Ashe believed that Lockhart was the one that did that. She admitted to herself that the woman was good. A bitch for sure, but a good opponent._

'_Yes, mistress,' the brown-haired man said and jumped at the brown haired girl that was wearing a pink dress__. __She was in a park outside of the town reading a small book._

_Before she was able to do anything or even notice that anyone was near her…a sword was through her body. She looked at the man behind her and she had her last breath… The man whispered, 'I am sorry…Rest in peace.'_

_End Flashback_

'Tomorrow we go to Twilight… My family has a house there and we will be there till we finish… There are two mages currently there and more might come due to that both are not from families of mages. One is a blond girl around fifteen and the other a brown haired girl around fifteen as well. Who knows, they might be friends and die together?' Ashe said as she was preparing her bag for the upcoming journey.

'So young,' he mumbled.

'What?'

'Nothing, mistress.'

And this day ended and the time to say goodbye at Traverse Town and hello to Twilight Town had come. It was five hours away… During the journey Squall stayed silent while Ashe did the same by not even looking at the man. Their relationship had slightly changed… Ashe wasn't using Squall as she did before, which he was certainly enjoying, and Ashe's requests were more reasonable.

_I guess that night taught her something at least.

* * *

_

Title:Now Or Never The Battles Are Near

Early the next day in Twillight town Olette sat watching the dawn from her window… She had been for a week with Axel and her life had totally messed up. From the day she returned and learned about the war… that psychos would probably search for her to kill her… that they would hurt people close to her just to hurt her …. Use them just to get to her… she had been terrified. She didn't have a really big outburst or anything in front of Axel… but she was scared.

Axel must have understood her feeling despite how hard she tried to hide them. He was good… in a way… she was a bit afraid of him sometimes… he had the bad habit of surprising her… One day he woke her up and she practically pushed him down and then punched him… thinking she was in danger… then remembered who he was.

From the day she returned till now… she had totally left all her friends. She didn't call… didn't answer their calls… she didn't even talk to her parents… not that they called… her dad called once and after that nothing. And that time she was asleep.

Olette shook her head and went to wake Axel up. He was already awake.

'Ready?' he asked.

'Yes… what will I learn today?' she asked.

'Well surprisingly you have learned quite well the small spells that can be very useful… so I believe we should practice a much more difficult one but truly important…' he said.

'What?' she asked after a short silence.

'It may sound weird to you but I can die more than once… so if I die… and you are alive… you should be able to re – summon me… since I have once been summoned… it's easier the second time.'

'A ha… but how am I going to practice? You are not dead and I don't intend to kill you to practice' she stated.

'Oh… that's not that difficult… by being able to concentrate… and by memorizing the chant… that's all…'

'Then it's not difficult'

'Oh well… we better call it dangerous… since you may faint due to the energy needed and more may happen perhaps' he corrected himself 'So we will do exercises that will help you increase your energy'

'Ok' she said and put on her jacket.

They got out. Due to the hour there weren't many people around but Olette was still very catious. Axel went away first and after five minutes she moved away and went to the arranged place.

* * *

'Come on!' Hayner said at a boy shorter than him, with black hair and a bit fat.

'I am coming!' he answered. They hid behind a can bin and watched their female friend watching quickly looking around. 'She may be going to see someone… maybe we shouldn't interfere' Pence said and turned to leave. Hayner grabbed him and pulled him back.

'Listen chicken! Olette is our girl… we are together since kindergarten… the attitude towards us she has these last days is not like her. Now do you think she is really all right?' he asked him fiercely.

'No..' Pence admitted embarrassed.

'Then let's go! If someone did something to her… I will beat the hell out of that someone' he said.

The followed her silently and soon they found out that she was going at the end of the city were nearly no one lived… a place she couldn't be seen.

A man with red hair that had a creepy look was standing waiting.

'Did anyone see you?' he asked Olette who drew nearer to him.

'I don't think so' she answered and looked back. Hayner along with Pence hid behind a rock and some plants. Axel for a moment looked at them but said nothing and turned his attention at Olette.

'Before we start… two gentlemen are seeking to talk to you' he said and with a movement of his hand… the plants were on fire and the two boys jumped to avoid being burned.

'Guys?'

Hayner looked at her and slowly scratched his head… Pence looked at Axel who was half smiling… his green eyes having a special look… like a cats ready to play with the mice. He was surely scary.

'Um… Hi Olette… what's up?' Hayner said as if nothing was odd in the situation they were in.

'What are you doing here?' she asked. 'This area is dangerous… and that early! What if something happened to you?'

'You are also here..' Pence said but a fierce look by Olette made him blush and not talk again. Axel standing behind her hid a laugh.

'We were worried about you and… you know…' Hayner said feeling uneasy that Olette was so upset. 'But well… You are meeting with a strange folk in the middle of nowhere and you are avoiding us … You are not the one to talk about danger!'

Olette opened her mouth and then closed it. She looked at Axel, who just raised his shoulder and smiled, then at them again and her face calmed down.

'I guess you are right…' she looked at Axel and then at them. She seemed to think of something and then with a movement of her hand she told them to come closer as she walked next to Axel. Looking at each other and then at her, they obeyed. 'Ok.. guys I'll tell you something really creepy and really serious. This is Axel… my warrior'

'Your what?' Hayner and Pence asked in union.

* * *

Roxas stayed all night in the living room. Cloud tried to understand what was going one between the two of them, because in a mysterious way for that day they avoided each other, was completely oblivious about what was going on. Namine spent all day in her room

'I am going for a walk' Namine said late in the evening. Roxas got up and went towards her. 'Alone' she added when she saw him. Both Cloud and Roxas froze after hearing that.

'What?'

She turned at them and calmly said but her voice trembled a bit. 'I am going out for a walk on my own'

'You can't mean that' Cloud protested and went closer to her.

'I do Cloud and I really don't have the emotional strength to fight over it right now.' She looked at Roxas for a long moment and then at her worried brother 'I am tired of having all the time someone over my head… I want to be totally alone' She turned her back and left without saying anything and leaving the two men standing there heavily breathing.

'Mistress?' Roxas whispered… 'Namine?'

'What happened?' Cloud asked and looked at the shorter blond.

'I honestly don't know' he said and then looked away feeling something within his chest… something painful… 'But I am worried. Do you think I should follow her?'

'Although for her safety it would be better… for the relationship you have it would be disastrous' Cloud admitted.

'Then I just have to stay' he went to her room and sat on her bed… the shits… the whole room smelled like her.

_And she is like her._

Roxas shook his head…

* * *

Squall was walking in the city. Ashe had ordered him to look for the two young mistresses. Using the instrument he had a vague idea of how they looked like: one was blond… such a beautiful child and the other equally charming with brown hair and magnificent eyes. Children… or kids that were nearly grown. Squall looked around and wondered how many people would get hurt because of his actions… of the outcome of the war.

Both had their most suited. The blond had Roxas and the other had Axel.

He walked and walked and admired the beautiful town… he hadn't been here for fifty years… it had slightly changed but it felt the same. The same atmosphere. It brought memories of a certain overactive young mistress…

He smiled at the thought of Selphie… she was such a good girl. He felt a rush of guilt inside him. For his fallen friend. For the friend he betrayed. He lost and she died. Selphie that always took care of him and treated him like an equal, an orphan since ten that was just twenty when he met her and because of him she died, had really tried to win… and he really wanted to win for her. In the last battle he lost to a Dalmasca that had summoned Sephiroth. After that he didn't care anymore whether he'd win or not but in a way he held a grudge against his current mistress's family. He wanted them to loose but he didn't care.

He was sick of that… that endless killing. Sick at the idea that even if Selphie had won… he would just disappear, not being able to celebrate their victory for one last time. Sick that he would never have anything with the one he loved… his worst enemy… and his whole everything.

Then suddenly as he turned he saw a blond girl wearing a jean and a black shirt walking around. She turned her head and looked ahead… and he knew this was the blond mage he was looking for. He just knew it was her. There couldn't be anyone else.

_Such an aura… so strong…_

And from that he could tell that girl was not a simple mage… not a simple person… this was a mind user!

He walked towards her not knowing what to do after he was close to her. The girl just stood there looking like a numb at the people walking around. As he was going closer… with every step… he walked slower like he wanted her to get away.

He wanted her to get away! That was the truth. She was young… so young! Younger than Selphie had been.

Then suddenly a boy… or perhaps a young man… stood in front of her. She looked at him and then smiled and hugged him. Squall went closer and saw the dark haired boy… with skin as pale as his smiling widely at his young victim.

* * *

Namine was walking in the city… It was a little cold… she left so quickly that she forgot to take a jacket with her. She just walked and didn't think… she starred at the shops and she starred at the people… some of her classmates… people she had never seen before… From the moment she woke up she had a sad feeling.

Or from yesterday night she had a sad feeling inside her but she didn't know it then.

She walked and without realizing it she was in the back alley… from there she went straight down…. and turned to a small road… quite dangerous for a fifteen years old girl but Namine wasn't afraid. She should but due to her 'knowledge' she was sure she could get out of trouble if need was.

Thankfully there was no need for that. She was in the park now…

Again a place full of people… a place she could hide in. She couldn't be noticed although she was so different.

Suddenly something hit her… she had felt it before… this cold feeling from inside. Something bad was about to happen… Danger…

She stayed still starring into space not being able to react to this feeling that was so strong.

'Namine?'

She looked up and saw a familiar face with a familiar smile. Green eyes mixed with brown… pale skin and black hair… such a sexy antithesis. Namine stared at the man that she hadn't seen for a year and a half… she hadn't heard of for so long.

'Yuki… here?' she whispered.

He smiled but before he could anything else… Namine was hugging him. He hugged her back and caressed her blond hair. After a while she retreated a step back leaving his warm body. She swept the tears that escaped and smiled to him.

That feeling disappeared.

'Hi Nami… long time no see…' he said.

'Yeah… you went away for university.' She said.

'Are you angry?'

'No… not at all now that I saw you.' She said and smiled.

'Why are you alone? Cloud let you out without him guarding you?' he said and laugh 'That would be so impossible'

'Well he did.' She said.

'I missed the blond… has he calmed down about you or today is a day you were able to run off home without him noticing?'

'You could say he had calmed down a little about me but little' she admitted.

'Nice… that's a good first step. Now let's go surprise him.' he said and took her hand and pulled her. She smiled and willingly followed.

On the way home Yuki talked about his College life and Namine didn't complain. She smiled at his remarks about his beautiful classmates and laughed with his jokes. When they were in front of the door of the house Namine remembered that Roxas presence had to be explained somehow.

'Um Yuki… There is something that I forgot to tell you' she started. He looked at her. 'Right now Cloud and I are not alone. A boy my age lives with us'

'Is he a related to you?'

'Not exactly… he is connected to me though'

'Really? And Cloud allowed a boy to be close to you. It took me five years to be able to say I am close to you and hug you and stuff without him having a look of murderer.' He noted and looked at her with the corner of his eye.

'Well…. Roxas is a special occasion' she admitted.

'I see.' He said and looked away.

'….'

'Anyway… won't we go in?'

'Oh yes!' she said and knocked. Because of the hurry she was in to leave she had forgotten her keys. The door opened immediately and Roxas barged out worried. He grabbed Namine from the shoulders.

'Where were you all this time? Have you been hurt? Are you all right? Has anyone bothered you?...' he started but Yuki cut him.

'She is all right… I was with her after all' Yuki said and hugged her from the shoulders. Without giving him any more attention he went inside the house like it was his.

Roxas looked at them from behind. Who the hell was that man? He went inside closing the door behind him and went to the living room where he saw Cloud smiling at the man as he approached closer to him. The man was hugging Namine from the shoulders and Cloud instead of being angry didn't even react to the sight. Who? Cloud! Cloud that if Roxas dared to even touch his precious little sister was ready to get berserk. And to think that Roxas was the one that vowed to protect Namine. He went closer to the three of them and stood a little behind.

'So Yuki… you are at college now, aren't you?' Cloud asked as he gestured with his hand to sit.

'Yes… and I have to say I enjoy it a lot. But well I miss Twilight' he said 'and the people that live here' Namine smiled at the last comment.

'I see what you mean. So you missed us so much that decided to come and pay a visit?' Cloud asked.

'Yeah well I had planned it really differently… I wanted to surprise you but when I saw Namine at the park I couldn't resist and talk to her.' He said 'But she has grown so much! I barely recognized her. She is a woman now' Namine blushed slightly.

'I am not that different' she said and hid her face in her hands.

'You are more beautiful than you were a year and a half ago' Cloud said.

'Stop it you two… I feel embarrassed' Namine said.

'You shouldn't… they are just saying the truth' Roxas said and everyone turned to look at him. Cloud smiled sarcastically.

'Who talked to you… brat?' the blond man said.

'Cloud! Don't talk like that for Roxas!' Namine defended her warrior immediately. Roxas with a movement of his hand showed that her brother's word didn't have much of an affect to him. He walked closer and sat next to Namine. Cloud looked at the boy but said nothing since Namine would just get pissed off and since Yuki was here they had to be careful.

'We haven't introduce ourselves properly.' Yuki said to the boy 'I am Yuki… an upper classmate of Namine and a close friend to the family.'

'Roxas… a friend of Namine's that is staying here for a while'

'Yes, yes… Nami told me.' He turned at Cloud. 'I was surprised that you allowed that'

'Well due to the circumstances there was no other solution' the man said.

'What circumstances?' the dark haired man asked.

'It's a long story and I am hungry! We can explain it later' Namine said ending the conversation.

* * *

Squall stood outside of the Strife house, just watching it. The girl lived here and as he had found out her name was Namine Strife. He went closer and stood out of the window. Inside the mage, the dark haired one, a handsome blond haired man and lastly Roxas stood there. He hid immediately and went away hoping Roxas hadn't noticed his presence.

He run following his instinct to find Ashe and inform her about his achievement. He found her at the place they were staying sitting and drinking tea.

'So how did it go?' she asked. Squall stood for a second to catch his breath and then looking down answered.

'I found one.' he said. After he didn't have a choice. This was his mistress, the one he was to obey. He had to do things even though he didn't want. And one of them would be to try and kill such a beautiful child. Such a talented mage.

'And? Who was it?' she asked and although her bodydidn't show it… her voice betrayed her excitement.

'The blond one. I found her.' He looked at Ashe and continued 'Her Name is Namine Strife… she has a strong aura… and she must be talented as a mage due to that. And also…' he started.

'Yes?' Ashe said.

'She is a mind user and she has Roxas, the one most suited for mind users as her warrior' Squall said. Ashe's face became as pale as her warrior's.

'What?'

'Yes… a mind user with Roxas.' He repeated.

'It's said that when a mind user is able to have a warrior… any warrior… she is difficult to kill… even if she was oblivious of magic.. is it true?' she asked him.

'Yes. And if a mind user has Roxas… she is supposed to be unbeatable. Roxas has won eleven times with the eleven mind users he served.' Squall said.

'_She _was also a mind user, wasn't she?' Ashe asked, her voice trembling.

'That's true. She was… and except from that…' Squall's voice was lost to the memory of that woman.

'Squall… tell me everything you know about Lea Lockhart and also answer some of my questions' she ordered.

'Lea Lockhart is an ultimate winner…. She killed all her enemies with her own hands with only one exception'

'Which was?'

'Roxas. She nearly died by his hand. The moment he was ready to kill her… Seifer found and killed Roxas's mistress… If Roxas was a moment quicker or Seifer a moment slower things would be different.'

'Is Roxas that powerful?' she asked. Squall looked at his mistress and got up.

'No… not alone… but when someone has a mind user as a back up… his strength is highly advanced.' He said. She hugged her body and then looked out of the window.

'Do you think I am powerful enough to win?' she asked him suddenly. Squall shocked with again this different Ashe… the human side of Ashe went a step back.

'I will be honest Mistress Dalmasca. I have served people much stronger than you and much weaker than you. Some of the stronger died because of luck and their mistakes. Some of the weaker won thanks to the circumstances. You are powerful enough to beat enemies… but are you powerful enough to know when you must surrender?'

'I guess I'm not. I was not raised to surrender but to die fighting.' She admitted.

'Then…' he started 'would you accept my advice if time comes and we must retreat?'

She looked back at him and with a big breath she answered. 'I will… since you know more than me.'

'If a mind user goes berserk what happens?' she asked.

'Mind users, as I have been told since I never served one, are people with an powerful auras and also persons that have the ability to use a part of their mind that the other people can't; they are very rare. I have heard that because of that ability, most end up loosing their mind and killing their selves or just are locked away since they no longer belong with the rest of their world. If they go berserk… I believe that they are disastrous and they surely cannot be easily stopped and if they are not stopped they just die because of the extreme power they have used and their brain has been kind of burned. I heard that they kind of start using part by part their mind and if they reach using all of their brain it's their end. That's why the go insane.' He finished his explaining and Ashe had lost more of her color.

'I don't want that…' she whispered. She looked numb outside. 'I don't want to die' She looked down and then suddenly she looked at him with a much healthier face 'So stupid Cat don't allow that to happen! Am I understood?' she yelled at him and he felt shocked from her outburst.

_What a psycho… She really has two selves… the human one that appears as less as possible and the sadist one that appears nearly all the time.

* * *

_

During the night of that fateful day a girl and a boy arrived. The girl had red hair and blue eyes while the boy had Brown hair and blue eyes much like his companion's. The both looked at the silent city… their home… for now at least.

'Sora?' she said.

'Yes Kairi' Sora answered.

'I sense something here…' she started doubtfully.

'I do too… There are three warriors here with their mistresses. Maybe we should leave… it's dangerous for you to be here…' he stated but Kairi smiled at him and started walking inside.

'Sooner or later I'd have to be close to them… after all here is one mistress that I attacked… We'll stay here and guard ourselves the best we can' she whispered and walked deeper in the city.

Sora half smiled and run after her. He was caring the bags although Kairi had objected about it many times... but he won in the end. After all Kairi who was used to be told to do things and not taking decisions on her own was still used to that kind of behavior so he could easily convince her.

They found the house… it was a apartment in the middle of the city and big enough for those two… it even had two bedrooms… Zack had said that the second was for her if she ever wished to come to see him.

'It's nice and we can be comfortable…' Sora said as he went to see the kitchen. He then went to the bedrooms… one was with a big double bed and the other with a bed for one but big enough for two slim people to share it. 'Where would you want us to sleep?'

'Well I thought we could sleep in separate rooms since we have the space' she said and turned around so he wouldn't see her blush.

'But it's safer if we are together' he stated. 'Except if you are afraid of me?' he said and went closer to her… he touched her shoulders and placed his head next hers.

'I am not! Of course not! I just thought of you… I am a terrible sleeper and I was afraid you wouldn't rest well sleeping on the bed with me' she said and went away.

'I was thinking of sleeping on the floor actually..' he started.

'Oh no! You did that there because there was no choice but I don't want you here to do that… You must rest well' she said.

'But… that would be awkward wouldn't it?' he asked.

'That's why I said to sleep in the other room… but if you insist to be with me during night then there is no other choice but to share a bed…' she said and crossed her arms '…I suppose it will be like sleeping with my brother… if I had one… so like sleeping with Zack'

'Ok… whatever my mistress commands' He agreed. 'Oh by the way… the fridge is empty so we need to buy stuff… or find a way to eat'

'Zack said that there are money in his bank account but I refuse to be such a burden so I will use some of them but we probably eat more fast food that is cheaper… Is that ok with you?'

'Sounds fine to me… but it's going to be bad for your health…' he pointed out.

'Oh well if I survive I will for sure find a job and start living healthily but till then my first priority is survival' she said and smiled.

'You are awkwardly too happy…' he questioned suspiciously.

'I feel like a really heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders… I feel like I can walk freely and take everyone's attention on me… It's really stupid but right now I feel like I've been reborn'

'You are just happy now'

* * *

All right everyone that's it. If feel like it review... if not, it can't be helped.

Have a beautiful and wonderful day!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:** Hello everyone who takes the time to read my story. I will post again two chapters so things will move quickly. I should have done that with the first four chapters but anyway. Cloud and Leon FINALLY meet... in a very unlikely way.

**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine apart from the plot and the few Original characters.

**Title:** Can't You See... I Have To Live Every Minute Like It Is My Last One

* * *

Riku went to the door and gathered the stuff that the post man had left. He didn't bother looking at them and just left them on the table. Rinoa then went downstairs.

'Good morning' she said as she passed him and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. Her father had been away for the week due to business and they were left alone in the house. His return wasn't decided. Those last days were as silent as possible since none of the two of them were icebreakers but instead ice creators.

'There are some letters and advertisements' he announced.

'Can you bring them to me, please?' she asked.

'Yes, mistress Heartily' he obeyed immediately and brought them to her. She was putting milk in a glass and took them from his hand being as careful as always to not touch him. She looked at them one by one…. The last one seemed to be interesting to her since she smiled and kept looking at it.

'We will go out this evening… or at least I will' she said and let it on the table and drank her milk.

'Where to may I ask?'

Instead of answering she gave him the paper. It was an art gallery. And surprisingly… the artist was Auron.

'You like that artist?' he asked with a smile on his face. Something that was rare.

'Yeah..' she answered suspiciously.

'All the things he has drawn are showing stuff about us' he said and gave the paper back.

'You mean you met him?' she asked.

'Yeah… centuries ago… His two sisters were mages for the war… in the same war'

'They killed each other?' she asked disgusted.

'No… they were killed by an other mage' he answered. 'It was difficult for him to watch… and very painful. He was twelve'

'One of the sisters was his twin right?' she asked.

'You know about her?'

'He has drawn her a lot… and he named his daughter after her. I didn't know though of the other one' she admitted and got up to wash the glass.

'He lost his daughter as well… like his sisters. It was awful for him. After that he lived for four more decades… dying at the age of ninety two. He helped with informing mages or taking care of incidents that had to be explained somehow.' He admitted.

'What a pity… That's why everything he has drown or written was so sad' she signed.

'Written? I didn't know he wrote as well.'

'Yeah…. A few poems… I know one by heart… it reminds of the war but with only one difference there are eleven warriors.' She said.

Riku's face became pale and he looked at her with eyes wide open. 'Eleven?'

'Yeah… the betrayed soul was the extra one….' She said. Riku thought of that fact for a moment till he was interrupted by Rinoa 'Riku… there are people that know about the war… and cover things?'

'Yeah… Didn't you know? Doctors... lawyers… simple people… priests… they are all mages that happened to witness us and furthermore they help us' he answered.

'So Auron was like that?' she asked

'Yeah…'

'Do the warriors have a secret member?' Riku looked at her and didn't speak. 'The eleventh warrior exists?' she continued and looked at him.

'Yes.' After all he didn't have a choice… he had to answer.

'And?' she asked showing she wanted information about that mysterious warrior.

'He was supposed to fight with Roxas for the title of the Lost Soul Of Abyss but… we didn't want him and that's why we made sure he wouldn't be the winner. We sealed him after his loss'

'So he is not dead as well… he can't rest?' she asked.

'Yes… it was too risky… he was always controlled by his anger and… you understand' he said.

'There is something you don't tell me right?'

Riku looked at her and then down. 'Well… if a previous winner learns about him and finds where he is sealed… she can take part in the war again and if that happens…and she wins then she will have a lot of power.' He answered.

'Has that ever happened?' she asked staring at the floor, thinking about Lea Lockhart… the previous winner, a woman that wouldn't hesitate to do that not thinking of consequences.

'Not exactly… he had tried to make a contract with a mind user that won… but she refused to accept' he said. 'She had found his sealing place.'

'I see' she said. 'This eleventh is best suited for mind users correct?'

'Yes… like Roxas' he answered.

Rinoa got up and run upstairs. 'Come with me!' she ordered.

In her room Rinoa opened a book… it didn't have a title or anything and for a reason Riku deep inside felt a fear. 'This is a book with all the things he has written…' she said. 'And the explanation of his most famous paintings… I start to understand the connection between his poems and the paintings.' She said.

_Nothing is supposed to be what it appears_

_That's how the undead exist…_

_To trap ten victims…_

_Nine with a destiny to die..._

_One with the fate to win…_

_But still the suffering is not complete._

_The winner has one last battle to give…_

_The warriors a decade to wait._

_No one will dare to go against their will_

_Ten mistresses arise…_

_Nine will die…_

_One will fall…_

_Cause the sinner is here_

_Cause the first victim of this eternal__ war seeks his revenge._

_Don't be afraid little girl…_

_Death is not great thing…_

_Just a flea of pain._

_Death is no bad thing..._

_Just a peaceful escape._

_You that won once…_

_You, that killed nine…_

_You shall face the beast…_

_You __may never be in peace._

'If this eleventh wanted to fight… then he asks the winners to take part. You knew about one that refused… but think that some may not have survived the refusal… some may accept.' She looked worried at him. 'You said that he was dangerous and he was controlled by his anger… think that he would have gathered a lot of anger all those years.' She looked at him again.

'This is just a tale… a poem… he wouldn't be able to do that...' Riku said.

'How can you be sure? You know he asked one.' she asked. He looked down accepting his defeat. 'If he really does that… then he will have asked Lockhart' she said. Riku was looking still down hiding his eyes' worried expression. 'A woman like her would for sure accept… and I bet that her new warrior will be so happy to serve such a powerful mistress'

'So… what do you want me to do?' he asked. She wanted something… he could tell by her behavior of pressing him for information.

'If what I suspect is true… then the other mistresses must be warned… before anything worse happens and she starts killing like before.' She said and took a big breath. 'When you said that you sealed him, where did you do that?'

'I don't remember' he said.

'Riku!' she hit her hand angrily on the table and leaned towards him.

'I don't remember' he repeated. 'Because he was so dangerous… we cast a spell on each other so we won't remember anything about him… but because of some certain circumstances and to be able at least to know that he was a probable danger if things were out of normal, we know of his existence.'

Rinoa got up and walked around the room for some minutes. She touched her neck and removed her hair from there. She turned to face him and her tongue wetted her lips. 'Then tell me about Auron?'

'I suppose after he was an official part of the members that cover things, right?'

'Let's start from there and we'll see the previous events for later.' She said and sat on the table in front of Riku who sat on a chair.

'Well Auron was very clever… and after his daughter's death he was like a ghost… he didn't want to live and hated himself for being so weak all his life… then he was approached by the others… the ones that covered his daughter's death, his sisters' death. And he accepted… I don't know why or what they told him but after that he was passionate about the war… about drawing… and about his importance in the council of the outsiders.' He took a breath to calm his self and continued 'I saw him after that… many times till I was informed he was found dead on his bed. The doctors said his heart stopped beating but… Auron didn't have that kind of problem'

'Do you think he knew about him?' she asked.

'I don't know' he said shaking his head. 'Mistress Heartilly' he started and touched her leg. 'do you really want to learn that much about him?'

'Yes… because if he is freed… then my chances of surviving are even less…' she said and he slowly removed his hand from her skin.

'Perhaps… other poems or paintings could give clues' he proposed.

'Perhaps'

* * *

Yuki had stayed for dinner at the Strife's house, he stayed till late when he was invited to sleep at the house but he refused unwillingly because as he said he had to go and see his parents as well. He arranged with Namine or as he called her _Nami, _to see each other tomorrow. Cloud was smiling brightly with the meeting fact.

Namine entered her bedroom wearing her pajamas and jumped on the bed. Roxas who was laying on the floor looked at her seeing her huge difference. She was ready to close the lights and sleep and for the first time she hadn't said goodnight to him, a fact that he found annoying.

_Maybe you are getting spoiled Roxas…_

And that wouldn't be good for him… he didn't have the right to get spoiled… he was after all a slave. The lights turned off and Namine closed her eyes. Deep inside he wanted her to turn at him and say something to him… but this didn't happen.

Next morning Cloud had gone early at his job leaving a note excusing himself, Namine woke up a little late and started getting ready for her Yuki meeting. Roxas watched her from behind and he did feel that he was being ignored.

'Mistress?' he asked suddenly demanding her attention.

'Yes…?' she answered as she brushed her hair.

'Will I come with you?'

Her hand stayed still and from the mirror Roxas saw her frozen expression. 'Um well… it will be Yuki and I talking about the old times… you'll probably get bored' she forced a smile that immediately disappeared.

'You are not supposed to be alone.' He stated.

'I won't be alone'

'Your friend is a human… he will end up like your brother when you first met me…' he went a little closer. 'Your brother knew at least martial arts… had knowledge of fighting… if something happens you'll be in danger. You can't call me yet with your mind so I'd be able to transport to you in case things get out of hand.'

'Nothing will happen. We will be in places with people and if I feel the presence of someone then I will immediately return.' She said and put the brush at its place.

'What if someone follows you?'

'I'll be careful and I will make sure to not make my presence noticeable.' She said and it was visible she was being stressed and cornered. And she didn't like it. 'Roxas everything will be fine… don't worry that much. Take the day off instead of grumbling' she said and touched his shoulder as she left.

Roxas stayed in the bathroom and heard her running out of the house leaving him back. He heard the door closing.

* * *

Squall was out again walking again. He couldn't help it, this town was irresistible for him.

All the memories flew to him every time he gazed at a familiar corner or at a face that looked like someone he had met ages ago. It wasn't just Selphie that had him bound with Twilight it was also that he had been able to enjoy this place. It seemed ironical but what he loved the most of this city was the life it had, how vivid and still calm it was. Now he was here to take from someone a life. He had also failed to protect a life here.

He was supposed to search like Ashe for the other mistress… They hadn't talked again about the mind user but Ashe was thinking about it a lot. They had two choices.

They would attack or wait to be attacked.

Ashe of course didn't like the idea of being attacked while knowing the enemy… it seemed too cowardly but Squall knew that to wait and have a plan is nothing more than good chances. If they attacked they might catch them off guard but they would fight back as well and when someone is afraid of dying or something scary like that, then he does all in his powers to prevent it. And a mind user that was inexperienced worked following the instinct and as was said by Roxas that's their great advantage.

He didn't actually understood it that well but… Roxas was an honest person. He wouldn't lie so he could win more times.

Then as he turned to the corner a girl fell on him and before he was able to do anything to hide his power, the blonde girl fainted on his arms.

* * *

Namine out of the house run as quickly as possible to get away enough so all the troubles would fade away and be put back in her mind.

_What could possibly happen?_

She knew many could happen but she didn't care. She didn't want to care! This was already confusing!

Yuki was back! Her friend! And if she was going to die then she wanted to spent a little time with him. Again. One last time. Yuki was the only normal relationship she had. Namine would never admit out loud but living with Cloud was tiring and stressing sometimes. Cloud was overprotective… was worried about everything and acted like danger was all around her.

Roxas now was like that. They didn't get along not because of their differences but because of their similarities that made both not want to get along.

Namine stopped at the square and looked around. She had asked Yuki to wait for her at the new café that opened here. She looked at her watch… it was still so early. Yuki would come in thirty minutes and he was always late so even more.

She decided to walk instead of wait so she turned her back and walked towards the road. She reached a park then… in that place full of people… she experienced for the first the feeling of another mage's presence and despite that, this presence had something pure… something she wanted to follow.

Breaking her promise she did so.

* * *

Kairi along with Sora walked in the city admiring it. It was beautiful… they had to admit it. So beautiful that it hurt.

_Flashback_

_It was early in the morning and Sora was awake with Kairi sleeping next to him. He got up and went to the kitchen to be sure he wouldn't wake her up. As he started preparing dinner the phone rang. It was something nearly surprising since nobody knew they lived here and Zack had said to everyone that he was away and wouldn't return for a long time. _

Then it must be…

_He picked the phone. 'Hello?'_

'_Sora!' Zack's voice was heard. 'How are you?'_

'_I am all right' Sora answered 'And you?'_

'_I manage…Kairi?' _

'_She is sleeping' he said._

'_Can you wake her up?' he asked._

'_Did something happen?'_

'_No… but I want to talk to her… I have been so worried lately.' He said._

'_Ok wait a moment.' Sora said and as he turned he faced Kairi behind him looking at him._

'_Who is it?' she asked lazily._

'_Zack' he said and she grabbed the phone._

'_Zack! Are you all right?' _

'_Yes kiddo I am fine. You?'_

'_I am all right.' She answered._

'_Did you have a good trip?'_

'_Yes… a peaceful one' she answered. There was a small pause and then she shot her question. 'How are thing there?'_

'_Well they are ok I should say. Your father is actually sad about everything that happens and your sisters have become worried about this. Surprisingly they worried about you as well. When they learned you left Alyssa said it was understandable with the way you were treated. Of course it is still early. You have been away for a day and some hours only.'_

'_I see…Don't tell them where I am till I tell you ok?' she asked._

'_Yes… did you have any problems with the money in the bank?'_

'_Well Zack… I don't want to be a burden and I haven't used much money after my own are all used and Sora and I are really trying to be as economical as possible' she said._

'_Kairi! You can't spend your whole stay there till I return with only fast food and stuff like that!'_

'_I can and I will' Kairi said. 'I may die…at least I don't want you to have lost much money.' _

'_Kairi!' his voice sounded hurt and angry. 'Don't be that pessimistic! Everything is going to be fine!' he said._

'_I hope cousin. I really do.' She signed 'Goodbye and inform me if anything happens' she said_

'_Ok… take care of yourself' he said and she closed the phone._

_End Flashback_

She looked at Sora next to her. He was also beautiful and it hurt that his beauty would go wasted in this cursed cage he lived in and there was no chance of escaping. She turned her head again and looked at the Sky. It was also different from the one she had seen home.

'Kairi?' Sora said as turned to a corner and they were in front of a park. She looked around and as she did she noticed a girl running away at her through the crowd. For a moment she couldn't walk… she hadn't ever felt something so strong.

'Kairi!' Sora said and pulled her to run into a small road and escape from the blond mage. Slowly she turned her head and she was again in control. She ran and ran and never looked behind to see what was coming. It was too scary for her to stand.

Suddenly Kairi felt an other strong presence different than before. Sora next to her had a pale face and as she understood something worried him and it probably was those two presences. They turned to another road that was narrow and dark and there they stopped.

'Was she a mistress?' she asked him.

'Yes… and she knows my face'

'So she is the Roxas user'

'Not only that… from what I felt before and combining it that she is this decade's Roxas mistress, she must be a mind user'

'Which means?' Kairi asked not ever having heard of a mind user.

'She is a mind user meaning that she has a very high IQ and she is really charismatic. They are very rare but they are born with great power…a nearly crushing power. That's why most die young… some die even after childbirth because their mind and body cannot stand the stress of the power or they live their lives without being able to walk because of that.' He explained in few words.

'How sad. Who wants to be like that?' she asked more to her self than to him.

'Don't feel pity for her… she is an enemy and you know…' he continued and they looked at each other 'Mind users are nearly unbeatable and if they have Roxas in their services they are unbeatable'

'Really?' Kairi said shocked. That was bad… that was really bad… she had also attacked that girl.

'Yes… all the mind users that took part in the war won. And their names were never forgotten… especially of two.' Sora said and closed his eyes.

'So we must be double careful?' she asked him.

'Yes…' he answered.

'The other presence what was it?' she asked 'A warrior?'

'Yes but not hers… Roxas has a different sense and scent'

'I see' one more enemy.

'It was like Squall or Seifer… those two have many similar points…' Sora murmured and looked up at the grey building.

'Um Sora… can I ask you something about me and those mind users?' she asked in a low voice.

'Yes go on'

'Mind users are special yes?'

'Yes'

'Holy users are special in a way too?'

'True'

'Holy users are not able to summon anyone but you right?'

'Right'

'Does that count for the mind users?'

'No' He simply said with a cold voice that was nothing like Sora's usually soft and gentle voice. Kairi looked at him with the corner of her eye and in his two blue eyes saw a different Sora. Saw anger… fear… determination… saw something violent and cruel… pain that should have never existed for someone like Sora.

'Why?'

'Because… of an unfinished battle'

'I don't understand'

'It's okay… I'll explain later'

They looked away and then at each other.

'Let's go!' She said and took his hand. And like that they went to Zack's home and as Kairi believed the place were she would die.

* * *

'Mistress are you sure about telling them?' a red haired man asks the brown haired girl that was standing in front of the two boys. She nodded and looked at them. They were still there where they were supposed to train.

'Well Hayner, Pence… as you have guessed something is wrong with me lately' she said.

'And we want to learn what' Hayner demanded to know. He got up and looked severely at Olette. Pence immediately did the same.

'Well… how should I start?' she said out loud.

'From the beginning please' Hayner said in a sharp voice.

'Ok… well do you remember that I went to visit my cousin Aeris?' she asked. The boys nodded. 'Well there I witnessed something awful… a mage like me with her warrior killed a girl with magic… I ran away into the forest' she said.

'But Olette! You are not allowed to go into the forest!' Pence said panicked.

'I know but that moment I was terrified!' she told them back in a defensive voice. She took a breath and looked for a moment around till her eyes fell on Axel. 'Axel saved me when I was attacked by some wolves and that's how we are together' she said.

'I'll explain the process' Axel said and looked at the boys with those green eyes. 'Olette summoned me… not by will but by instinct. Questions?'

'No' the boys answered.

'Ok… At first I didn't believe it as well but after what I had seen… after what I had lived and because of the way I was… I believed him. And it's true… I can control fire' she said.

'Ok… I got that part. What about your parents? Do they know about him?' Hayner asked. Pence nodded in agreement to that question.

'They are on a business trip.' She said and looked down 'And even if they weren't… they wouldn't have understood that something is happening' Olette said.

'One thing that you should know also is that she is a mage of a war that takes place every ten years… and the winner is able to fulfill one wish… her greatest wish.' Axel said.

'How can someone win?' Pence asked.

'Only ten mages… ten particular mages can fight and the last on standing is the winner… as to your question by killing all the others'

'What? But…' Hayner looked at Olette. 'That means she is in danger!'

'And I am here to help her'

'Olette…' Pence said.

'I didn't want you to know…' she said.

'Why?' Hayner asked and touched her shoulder.

'You may be in danger because you know and I feared that you'd say I am a freak' she admitted and started crying.

'Idiot!' Hayner said and hugged her from the shoulders 'We are together since kinder garden. I wouldn't let you down because you are in need for help.'

'No… we will help you as much as we can' Pence said and went closer.

'Guys…' she whispered and hugged Hayner and then Pence. 'Thank you' she added and wiped her tears.

'You don't have to cry…' Hayner said who was red.

'Hayner… did you blush?' she asked and smiled playfully.

'No…'

'Yes he did' Axel said.

After seeing that they wouldn't train that day… and after joking with Hayner, Olette said to return at her home. Hayner and Pence had to leave though because their mothers would panic if they didn't show any signs that the lived.

'So what do you want to eat?' she asked.

'Nothing.' He answered.

'Oh Ok to tell you the truth… I am not hungry either.' She said. 'Wait a minute.' She ran at the telephone and dialed a number quickly. She waited for a moment.

'Yes?' a voice she didn't recall answered.

'Excuse me… Is Aeris home?' she asked thinking that this could be a friend or something to her cousin.

'Aeris?' the woman said and started crying…

'Yes… can I talk to her. I am her cousin Olette… please this is an emergency.'

'I am sorry but Aeris is not here with us anymore.'

'When will she come back?' Olette asked and feared that something bad was going to happen.

'She won't come back'

'What?'

'She is dead' and there was another outburst.

'How? When?'

'She was found dead in a park outside of the city… there were two other girls found dead there.'

'Why wasn't I informed? Who did this? How? Why? Who?' she asked desperately.'

'Nobody knows… but their deaths were covered.'

'Covered?'

'Someone paid a lot to shut the police and it seems that someone had a lot of money… Don't try anything girl.. they will destroy you and everything around you' and she hug up the phone leaving Olette staring at the floor with eyes wide open.

* * *

'So what have you learned?' Tifa asked her cousin.

'Dalmasca has left her home… she went to Twillight town' Tom answered.

'Is there anything interesting?'

'Yes… two mages for sure and one more is near but when I searched for the town she was outside. Probably going there.'

'Nice...' she whispered.

'Have a good night Tifa'

'You too Tommy'

* * *

'Show must go on!' Lea whispered and started laughing hard.

'What's so funny?'

'That this show is going to be like the previous one.' She said.

'Don't be like that Lea… there is also a mind user with Roxas'

'I am a mind user… I am experienced and I have you… see the difference.'

'But still she is a danger'

'Not for us.'

The dark figure went some steps towards her and his face appeared… He had silver hair that covered most of face due to his hair cut. They were long till his shoulders. He had green eyes that weren't like Axel's impressing ones but still they had something… they were eyes a dead or a sick would have.

'Lea…. Don't do the mistake I did… I underestimated my enemies'

'They weren't all your enemies… only Roxas was'

'They were… because in the end we would fight each other.'

'You are not angry that you don't belong to them?' she asked. She had a different opinion about his reason for fighting.

'No… of course not! I want to live and die' he said.

'That's something I hadn't thought someone would want' she said.

'Liar… you knew that this was my wish before I ever asked you to be my mistress'

'Kadaj!' she said and laughed 'You didn't ask me to be your mistress… I found you and made you my warrior… two years now.'

'Yes… we have waited together a long time.' He said and with look full of apathy asked the black haired woman who lay on her bed. 'What will you wish this time?'

'Shh' she put her finger on her lips 'That's a secret'

'Come on! Tell me!'

'No… not yet'

* * *

**Title:** Trying To Survive We Became Hunters And By Hunting Murderers

Rinoa had spent most of her day reading and reading all the poems and stories she had from Auron. And yet… new information weren't given. They all talked about destiny and the sinner and the undead warriors but it was just empty words… a meaning couldn't be found behind. Then.. something hit her.

"RIKU!" she yelled. Her warrior immediately opened the door.

'Yes Mistress Heartilly?'

'You said some people work for the war correct?'

'Yeah.. in a way they do.'

'Is there anyone that can give me information about Auron… or tell if he had written more things?'

'Like a diary or something?' Riku asked thinking of what she wanted.

'Anything that could be useful for our research' she said.

'Yes… we can contact them and see if there is' he said.

'How do we do that?'

'We will go to the place where their _offices _are.'

'_Offices? _They even have offices?'

'No, it is basically where they gather… they are many… so many' Riku said.

'And where should we go to learn what we want?' Rinoa asked as she got up closing the book she was reading.

'Twillight town'

* * *

Cloud had just finished his work and was about to return at home. Things had become strange lately… very strange. Although Yuki's sudden appearance was a nice break to the tension that existed with the house and its members (including Roxas. No matter how much he seemed not to like him, he was part of the house for now… and not that despicable as he appeared to be), but that tension had not disappeared but rather postponed its real BIG Bum. And Cloud was afraid that this would be very bad… Namine had already showed the first signs. He actually suspected that something had happened between her and Roxas, as he was sure that Namine started to have feelings for the blonde and the blonde couldn't see or perhaps didn't want to see. In this Cloud was with Roxas's side… they weren't fit for each other… Roxas had his own destiny and Namine had another.

If she survived.

This thought was like a pain inside his stomach and felt like a sword was going through him. He had promised to protect her and yet… things turned to be different and he couldn't. Her enemies were not for him. What If… if she died… what would he do? Who would he live for?

_Yourself _

This little voice echoed inside his head. But… he had forgotten how it felt to live for himself and … did he really want to do that? Could he really go on after the death of someone he loved as much as Namine?

And except from that… if he wanted to live for himself… he would have to know what things he wanted but… he didn't know who he was anymore. His identity was Captain Cloud Strife of Twillight town, the elder brother of Namine that took care of her without caring for his needs…

_Till the needs were forgotten. _

Yeah… he had given her everything… and he was unable to help her.

As he walked from the central square he saw some people gathered around something.

'Captain Strife! Your Sister!' someone said. His mind went black.

_Could it be that she…?_

He shook his head and went to see what happened. Namine was unconscious but there was no blood around and no sign of battle. When the first shock retreated, he understood that someone was holding her. His eyes went up and met a man of unbelievable beauty.

_Pale skin… seemed so soft, so touchable. _

_A wonderful body… perfect analogies._

_Wonderful brown hair…with such a nice color that made somehow a contrast with his skin._

_And two eyes of a lion… those eyes… _

Cloud for a moment forgot what was going on and who the man was holding. He just sunk deeper into those stormy eyes… and for a moment just a brief moment inside he saw Roxas and he remembered Namine.

'What happened?" He asked as he took her to his arms.

'I was turning and she fell on me' the man started.

_How clumsy…_

'And then she fainted… I hope she is all right… should we call a doctor?' the man asked and got up.

'No… I will take care of her. I am her brother.' Cloud said and got up holding her in his arms. 'I hope we weren't much of a trouble to you.'

'No, not at all' the man said.

'Ok…' Cloud got up and looked at the people around. 'Thank you everyone for caring' He turned to thank the man but he was lost. He looked around but couldn't find him.

'Cloud' a whisper was heard of the younger girl and the man's memory was put aside… for now.

_Because eyes like that… could not be forgotten.

* * *

_

Squall was in a chaotic situation he looked at the girl he held and then at the people who had gathered around them.

_It was the perfect chance… and there were so many witnesses._

'Isn't she Namine Strife?' someone asked.

'The younger sister of the Captain?'

'How much has she grown up?' Squall glared at the woman who said that.

_Honestly… in the situatio__n they were in…that was what she could say._

'Somebody call her family and a doctor!' Squall said.

Some people turned to do as he said but as they did they stopped and a shout was heard. 'Captain Strife! Your sister!'

A blond man run at them and as he lay down, Squall recognized the agony in his face, he had seen many like him. But that was not the first thing he saw… it was not even how the man checked if her sister was drawn into the battle.

It was that the man in front of him was… sexy. That was a word he didn't use often… he actually had never thought of someone like that. Seifer was… handsome and it wasn't the bodies that made them so close but rather all the other.

But he couldn't find a word more suitable for the captain in front of him.

He was thrilled when his blue eyes gazed at his face… he saw desire in his eyes… and the truth was that he liked it. He liked the connection their eyes head… the hunger they shared.

But something spoiled that moment… and it probably was the thought of the girl between them, which was literally between them.

'What happened?' the captain asked.

Now what to answer?

_How about the truth? You did nothing after all. For now…_How sad this for now seemed to his mind.

'I was turning and she fell on me' he started. 'And then she fainted… I hope she is all right… should we call a doctor?' He asked, just to show he cared. But why? Did it really mattered if he cared or not?

_If I show I care then h__e will have a better opinion of me…maybe._

How come it mattered this mortal's opinion though?

'No… I will take care of her. I am her brother.' The man said getting up holding her. 'I hope we weren't much of a trouble to you.' He looked at Squall with his blue eyes.

_Oh my… I want… I want…_

'No, not at all' was the quick response. He had to get out of here… He was nearly able to breath… and for once he felt a pain that was desirable. And as the man turned his head and talked to the crowd, he run away to the dark road he had come from.

When he was far enough and the man's scent seemed to have less effect on him, he took a big breath and looked back, nearly hoping he would be running after him. But no one was there. His sister was after all more precious than he could have been.

* * *

Cloud carried Namine at their home… She had woken up but… she felt dizzy and Cloud insisted not letting her walk till he was sure she was perfectly fine. Roxas at the house when he saw them went nearly berserk.

'What happened?'

'Roxas…' Namine started but he didn't let her finish.

'I had told you that it's dangerous to be alone… I HAD TOLD YOU AND YOU IGNORED ME AND NOW …' he raised his hands in desperation. 'Look at you' he finished with a low voice and a sad expression.

'She fainted… It had nothing to do with magic' Cloud said.

'No' Namine said and the two men looked at her. 'It has to do with magic' she turned to Cloud 'Let me down please' and he did so. Roxas immediately grabbed her from the waist so she wouldn't fall. 'Call Yuki and tell him that I can't meet with him Cloud' she said. Cloud nodded and went to the phone.

'I want to tell you some things' she started and looked at Roxas 'but in our room' she said and started walking at it. Her steps were unsteady so Roxas got her into his arms and took her to her room, where he lay her on the bed and sat next to her. 'First of all… I am so so so sorry' she lowered her gaze. 'I cause trouble…. To all' she said.

'Mistress…' Roxas started.

'Namine' she said. 'You call me Namine'

'Namine then' Roxas said without protesting about their bond 'You don't cause trouble… and especially not to me and not to your brother'

'No… my brother has suffered so much because of me… and you have to look after a stupid disobedient girl that was given things she couldn't understand and appreciate. I… I…' she started but burst into tears. She cried and cried but despite how much she tried to control those emotions she couldn't.

'Namine…' Roxas said and he slowly touched her back. She instantly hugged him, like this touch meant she could do it and her reaction meant she wanted to do it before he gave her permission. 'It's all right… I am not mad… I was worried about you' he said and touched her back again slightly but this time he didn't remove his hand. 'Don't cry… please'

She wiped her tears from her blue eyes and looked at Roxas as she pulled back. 'Sorry for the whole outburst'

'What happened? Why do you think you fainted because of magic?' he asked not mentioning if he accepted or not her apology, this seemed trivial now.

'I was waiting for Yuki and suddenly I felt inside me… something I think you call an aura… it was awesome!' she close her eyes at the memory of the pureness that had filled her during that moment 'It was pure… something like a presence of good… I couldn't feel the danger of it and I wanted to find the source and I tried' she confessed.

'The holy user'

'What?'

'Oh… I haven't told you… there is one mistress that her element let's say is holy and she always takes her most suitable, in other words Sora, the one who attacked you' he said. 'They are usually very good as persons and perhaps a little naïve if they haven't experienced pain' He took a big breath 'I guess this one has… and if she is able to break away from the source of pain… she is quite an enemy'

'It's not this though that made me faint' she added.

'Then what is it?'

'I think I felt the presence of a warrior and it wasn't that Sora… I know… it was different, it felt cold and a little scary… and massive… and I don't know… I can't remember' looks down and touches her head with her face. 'But.. it was too much? Too wild? Can't be sure… but that is the reason I fainted'

'It's okay… since you are all right but…' she looked at him as he made this pause to emphasize the meaning of his words. 'You have to listen to me from now on'

'Yes… I am sorry for being such a disobedient student, teacher' she said and laughed.

'Well I haven't taught you anything lately and there is something you should also try to learn… kind of difficult but needed.' He said. 'We'll start tomorrow.. You should rest now… this had been a very tiring day for all of us'

'Yeah… but Roxas… I promise to do my best and be like the great previous mistresses of yours' she said and lay on her bed.

'Don't' he said as he went to his corner.

'Why?' she asked

'Because not many of my previous mistresses were as good as you are'

'…'

'The treated me like an object and they would let me die so they would live and resummon me to do their dirty job. They used me like a slave and treated me like one' he said. He hugged his knees and hid his face.

Namine got up and went closer to him. She sat next to him. 'Really?'

'Really.' He said and something inside him moved his heart as he felt her breath on his neck. 'Don't be… please don't. I wouldn't stand it.'

'I won't… I would never hurt you because…' but her voice lowered like she didn't want to reveal the reason.

'Because?' he asked and looked at her. She went closer to him and he saw her eyes filling with tears. 'Why? Why wouldn't you hurt me'

'Because… Because I…' she leaned closer to him so their lips were barely touching and they felt each other's warmth. 'I like you…' she stayed there with closed eyes 'No, I don't just like you'

'Then?' Roxas asked and slightly touched her leg.

'I love you' and he leaned over her to kiss her. Their lips touched at the same time Cloud entered.

'NAMINE!' he yelled. The blond girl jumped back and Roxas looked at the blond man with a sad expression. 'WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?'

'Cloud...' Namine started but Roxas got up and with a movement of his hand asked her to stop.

'It's my fault and it will not happen again.' He went closer to Cloud who was looking quite calm for what he had just saw. 'I know like you do that this would just hurt her… and I would be hurt if I hurt her. I won't do the same mistake like then' he whispered and went to the living room leaving the two Strifes looking at him and then at each other.

'Namine…' he said in a low voice 'this time I will let it pass but..' he looked severely at her 'it won't happen again'

'I don't think it can happen again…' she said and got up with a sad expression.

'….'

'He doesn't want to do the same mistake like then..' she went to the bed 'He always compared me with her, the one he dreamed about and cried for'

* * *

Cloud after the small scene with Namine went inside his room. He was sure that Roxas would be in the living room all night and his sister wouldn't get out of her room for hours. He started changing into his night clothes and as he did he looked at himself in the mirror. It was just 1 o'clock in the morning but he needed really to sleep or at least to lay down. There was a bother inside him… a heavy thing in his chest.

_How much time had it been since he last kissed someone?_

Months… And it wasn't anything special… a kiss and the same night sex and after that… nothing. It was only to feed his hunger for flesh. But he had to be honest now… in front of the mirror as he gazed at his self without wearing his shirt. He wanted a little more than a night… not feelings but something like interest.

Immediately the image of the man kissing his neck went threw his mind. He shook his head not wanting thoughts like that. Namine was his priority… He didn't have time for this… for his needs… for kisses… No: He had to protect her and he would.

_But she kissed Roxas… if she did, so could he._

No: it wasn't the same. Namine… his Namine… she didn't have to reject life for him. He wanted her to live and be happy right? He wanted her to live fully. But that Roxas wasn't the one for her.

_She is old enough to take care of herself though…you don't have to think of her every moment of your life._

Yes that was true but… he was afraid to start living for his self. It was not just scary… it was sad. He didn't know what he wanted. It was easier to live for her and be rewarded with her smiles. And yet something was missing… there was a gap. He had known of its existence years now and helped not be that painful with small affairs and just sex. And although they weren't much help… they kept him in balance… but now… he needed sex and needed it a lot. But he wanted also and something more with it.

The thought of the man came across his head once again and this time the man was hugging him and he was enjoying it.

He shook his head again and lay on his bed. He remembered what Namine had said, that what happened for just seconds wouldn't happen again because it wasn't her the one he wanted to kiss but someone from the past. He felt a small anger inside him: wasn't his sister good enough? And there was a joy inside as well: If nothing happened then she wouldn't miss him that much when he would be gone.

_If she won__... _

Again that if… if she survived. He shook his head and closed his eyes trying to sleep.

Namine was his priority… at least till this mess was over… and that man, whose name was unknown (something that unfortunately added a mystery that Cloud liked) … He would probably never see him again, so what was the reason in thinking about him?

He should never forget his promise… if he forgot about her even for a split of second and she was harmed, he would never forgive himself and the one who made him forger her.

* * *

Squall looked outside of the window. Ashe still hadn't been back and he didn't want her to soon. When she did, she would ask how his walk was and he would have to say everything.

Well not everything… he wouldn't talk about how handsome the man was or how he made him felt. Not that Ashe cared about him and himself. But… if he told her she would probably mock him about it or be angry because since her order was to be an object, it meant that he had to act as one (and he had failed to fully obey… he did only whenever he wanted to). Perhaps she would want to meet that man and see him before she killed his sister. She was a sadist after all… she would like to see him in pain.

But Squall wouldn't like him. He had just met him but… the connection their eyes had… the way he smelled… that was something that valued for a moment. And what he liked more was that this man woke his hunger for flesh… that all the mistresses before… the ones who cursed him… had stolen from him. He couldn't feel that not even for Seifer he was in love with.

* * *

Kadaj looked at the woman who was lying on the bed and looked at her. She had just proved how cruel she could be.

_Or how much of a winner she is. She values nothing but herself._

'Why did you do that?'

'What?' she asked like she didn't understand what he was talking about.

'You put doubts into that captain's head about his sister'

'What?'

'Don't lie Lea! I know you did…'

'You weren't supposed to see though' she said suspiciously and went closer. 'How?'

'Oh my my, the gorgeous unbeatable Lea has finally felt a kind of fear for someone. And that someone is me.' He smiled in a cruel way at the woman who sat at the end of her bed. '_How flattering_'

'I wasn't afraid! Tell me how you were able to do it. No one has been able to do it except from my teacher that is dead now' she said and looked with an equally cruel expression at him.

'You killed him?'

'He was a relative!'

'Why would that stop you?'

'I am not that much of a monster!' she exclaimed.

'So you admit you are a monster' he teased her.

'Kadaj! Tell me… how you did it before I get pissed of' she said and there was this aura she revealed that for a moment froze him.

_The game was no fun anymore… _

'Fine' he forced a smile 'I am able to read your thoughts without you understand it because I not just someone most suitable for mind users but also a mind user myself'

'What?' she nearly shouted that. 'But only women have been mind users till now!'

'No. Women have more chances to be mind users. I am an example of the other way' he said and raised his hands.

'Oh.' She smiled sarcastically. 'Do you think what I did is not for our advantage?'

'It could be. If her perfect relationship with her beloved brother is spoiled then… she might really get berserk and that could be very bad… but it can also cause harm to her will power because she might have less self-assurance' he went and sat next to her. 'The problem with us, the mind users, is that we are so unpredictable. You never know what will happen. Or why this person showed her first signs as a mind user controlling people and not having visions… or reading thoughts or creating illusions. There are really so many thing unsolved and unexplored.'

'Why nobody took the time to' she got up and went towards her desk where she took a ring after looking at it for a moment she wore it. ' investigate?'

'Because they were afraid I guess… and also because mind users are born rarely and they don't go around saying who they are and what can they do.'

'I see…' she went at Kadaj and fell on the bed again. 'What do you think of the other thing I did' she glanced at him 'huh?'

'It will hurt your Seifer a lot' she said.

'So my Seifer… has feelings for this _cat_?' she asked and a small look of pain appeared in her eyes that was lost immediately.

'Oh.. it is a nice cat isn't it? But… Seifer has feelings for you as well'

'You think?'

'Yeah… but they are confused with terror, admiration, and perhaps a little lust or friendship'

'Lust? Friendship?' She laughed a little. 'Oh boy'

'You like that Lea!' Kadaj said and lay next to her.

'A little… Perhaps because I have a need to posses'

'Yeah you really do.' Lea went closer to Kadaj and smiled at him with an allusive way.

'Do you imply with lust that I was the one that awoke Seifer's manly needs?'

'Like you did with the brother and the cat, no, but you certainly made him notice how beautiful you are and he has a desire to be with you.' He pushed her back so she wouldn't be close to him more. 'And it is killing him how you play with your aura.'

'Ha ha ha' she burst out.

'I have the suspicion that the one most suitable for you wasn't Roxas despite being a mind user'

'How come?'

'You are too evil for his standards.'

'I wasn't like that younger. Who would it be then? You?'

'No… I don't count, although I would have chosen you if I could. Sephiroth'

'What?'

'He is the second best for mind users and he has that ambition of yours… but you wouldn't like it'

She gave him a questioning look and then grabbed a pillow so she could put her head on.

'You wouldn't be able to control him and surely not receive this adoration you got from Seifer and the easiness there is between us.'

'When you'll become a human…or I don't what will happen to you. Anyway if you are able to act like a human after I win… then we should keep in touch. I mean… you are one of the people I can associate well.'

'But you get along with everyone'

'That's an act so the elders won't find out what I am doing'

'Oh yeah… why don't you want then to find out?'

'Well there have been years that more than one Lockhart took part in the war and well… one had to die. So… sometimes they let both fight and in the end if the only ones standing are the Lockhart ones, then the stronger is the one who lives. Other times… they kill one and let the other fight. I mean cruel things… like because she was the second to find she died… not even caring that she could do a lot of things… without even learning why she died. I think they killed a girl at the age of five because of that, three hundred years ago and she was a mind user. That was a waste! The Lockharts remaining have never won. So.. if I tell then they would try to control me probably and because I won't allow anyone to mess with my life they will want to kill me or let me kill the sorceresses of the other families and when there will be Tifa and me only they will stab me behind my back. And that will be because Tifa can willingly become a puppet. She won't even think about her role as a puppet but rather as a respectable person of the house.'

'Mmm you have given it a hard thought.'

'Always… I must be careful.'

* * *

Well that's it. Hope it was interesting. Tell me what you think please.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: **Hello everyone! Sorry for not updating at all those days. Life is full of school homework those days.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but Lea Lockhart.

* * *

Title: Somewhere In The Process We Lost Our Souls

'Miss Lockhart… it is so nice to see you again after all those months' A man with long light brown hair tied in a ponytail said and went closer to her. 'You are as beautiful as ever, irresistible like all winners' he kissed her hand. She laughed and pulled her hand.

'You are hopeless Irvine.' She shook her head but smiled at the compliment nevertheless. 'So… will you lead me to your boss, or you learned I was coming and came to say hello?'

'Both'

'I see.' She said and as they started walking she went very close to the man and with an alluring smile she asked. 'So how's life?'

'Fantastic as always… As long as there will be women in it.' He answered.

'Ah… you haven't changed a bit as I see. Have you found the special one or are you still searching?'

'No' he answered.

'No, you haven't found her?' she asked.

'No, I haven't found her and I don't plan to' he said and stopped and went close to her so the faces needed a little more to touch one another. 'I am free for all.'

Lea went a step back and bit her lip and then she went back to where she was. 'Mmm… I'll have it in mind then.' She went and hugged him with one hand from the shoulder. 'Say, Irvine, would you happen to know why I am here?'

'I am not supposed to tell you Lea…'

'Come on!' she exclaimed 'It will be our little secret' she whispered in his ear. Immediately she went into his mind to make his resistance smaller. She could have just read the answer but where is the fun of that?

'Lea… when you become my ally, we will have as many secrets as we want. Till that day comes..' he leaned and whispered into her ear 'you need patience'

The woman without loosing her smile although it had become colder and faker than before, went a step back. 'Who ever said I will be your ally Irvine?'

'You will…. Because you know that in your family you can become powerful only when the elders die and you don't like waiting without doing anything else than training younger kids and playing the role of the good girl' he looked at her from the top to the bottom 'And it would a waste if you were really a good girl'

'So? What all those things mean?' she asked although she knew the answer.

'With us you can go high!'

'But I will still obey others.' She answered and walked past him entering the door where she knew the ones who ruled here were waiting.

'Lea…' a young girl, younger than Lea, stood up and looked at her. She had blond long hair and she was wearing a small brown dress. 'Welcome!'

'Hello' the woman said and went closer and looked at all the five members of the organization 'Rulers of the Symphony of Legends.'

'Miss Lockhart, take a seat please. There is something we need to discuss' a man with blue hair said and showed a seat. The black haired woman walked and sat where he told her.

'Shall we begin?' she asked.

'Yes. Of course.' A black haired woman with long black hair that she had tied up at the bottom of her head said and looked emotionlessly.

'Lea Lockhart, you are the previous war's winner and thus you will always be admired by the people that know about the war.' The man said 'But… soon a new winner will arise. It is the first time that a winner was able to survive and see the next war.'

'And we searched about that matter… and we learned about the 11th warrior. Do you have anything to say about that?' the black haired woman who had spoken before asked.

'Never heard about that before' Lea answered with a serious expression not loosing her self control.

_Crap… they learned about my existence. _Kadaj said inside Lea's head.

_Hush! _Was the woman's answer.

'How did you heard about that 11th warrior? And what is he anyway?' She asked and crossed her arms on her chest and looked at the black haired woman.

'A warrior that nearly made it to be one of the ten… He was about to fight with Roxas in a death battle and the winner would be the most suitable for mind users but he was betrayed by the other warriors, who obviously wanted Roxas and not him. As for your other question… someone is searching about that matter.' She answered.

'Really? And how come no one knew of him?' she asked.

'I guess… no one cared to know of him and his first appearance in history is when he killed one of the most talented mages that have lived till now… equally powerful with you… this sinner… asked her to become his mistress so he could win the ones who betrayed him but she refused and thus she was killed by him… he must have possessed powers equals of a mind.' The blond girl said. 'But most of our sources about him are from a member that lived centuries ago… lost two sisters and his daughter in the war and after that he worked for us till the end of his life, which is covered by a mystery as well.'

_Did you kill him? _

_Yes… I made his heart stop._

'I see' Lea said after a pause. 'So do you want me to help you find out more about the warrior?'

'No.' a man that hadn't talked at all during the meeting and had his eyes closed all the time said. Without even moving he added 'We want to protect you from him'

'Protect me?'

'You see Miss Lea… he is obviously obsessed with winning the war and that's why he asks the winners to unseal him but they usually don't. No one has ever accepted. So we are worried about your life' the blond haired girl said.

'My life?' she whispered.

_They are afraid that you will accept and then chaos will rule. They were created so this wouldn't happen._

_I can't wait to see their faces when they learn that I have already accepted… No! I have searched for you and we teamed up against them… against all those who oppose me._

'Lockhart… we want to make a magical contract with you, in case anything bad happens… we would be able to help.' The stone faced man said.

Lea looked at them one after the other and as her eyes stayed at the black haired woman, who she looked last. A smile was shaped on her pale face, full of irony.

'No.' she said and got up. 'I don't do contracts with anyone else but myself. Maybe I would with one of the elders of my family but not with anyone else.' She started walking away but as she was about to open the door the last member of the five spoke.

'We could always say to your family about you and your connections with us. I don't think they would approve of that kind of behavior from their golden girl.'

She turned her head slowly and looked right into the man's eyes and entered his mind 'Do you threaten me?'

The black haired woman got up immediately and grabbed Lea from the elbow. 'I will escort you outside my dear. You can think about our proposal for some days and then come and tell us your answer. I am sure you will choose what is best for everyone won't you, sweetheart?' she said and her voice changed when the door closed.

'Good reaction Lulu my dear. Careful and quick as always' Lea said and not letting go of Lulu's hand she walked towards the exit.

'You know that I don't care whether you live or not… but I want to make sure you won't cause us trouble'

'How could you think I'd be able to do something like that?'

'I know what kind of monster you are.' She said as Lea was at the door. 'Well then my dear' she said in a loud voice. 'Be careful on your way home.'

'Thank you!' Lea answered equally loud, equally happily and equally fake. As she walked past the door she muttered 'bitch'

_My my I see not everyo__ne has fallen to your traps Lea_

_Well… I always found it difficult to persuade women with personalities like hers… she in one of the few that I failed. Don't worry though…. She is not an enemy, yet._

_Ah by the way I learned who the one they learned from about me was._

_Really? Who?_

_A mage of this war… she is coming here soon. Today._

_And did you learn her name?_

_Heartily. Rinoa Heartily. _

_What warrior?_

_Riku, her most suitable._

_

* * *

_

Rinoa with Riku by her side walked inside the headquarters of the Symphony Of Legends. As they were closer to the place her steps were slower and slower. If she felt comfortable with Riku, she would have grabbed him but because of the ice in her heart, and his ice as well, this was not going to happen. Never! Riku looked at her with the corner of his eye.

'Scared?' he whispered

'I am not!' she said and looked straight ahead and walked with her back straight but her steps continued to be smaller and smaller.

'You seem to be though'

'Riku!'

'Are you Miss Heartilly, Miss Rinoa Heartilly?' a man asked and the other two looked at him. He was a man with blond hair, tanned skin and very muscular. He was about thirty five. Rinoa was always right about people's age. He was very handsome as well.

'Yes… you know of me?' she asked a little surprised.

'Yes… since you were a young girl.. but you don't remember, do you?'

'Of course she doesn't Shuyin. She doesn't even remember Lenne' Riku said and went to the man to greet him.

'So you wanted to talk with me?' the man asked. Rinoa with the mention of her deceased sister had lost the world from her feet.

'Yes… we want to find everything that is possible about Auron'

'The one who was a member of us centuries ago?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

Riku looked at Rinoa who was pacing out. As he noticed that she wasn't paying attention to the conversation, he called her name. 'Mistress!'

'Yes' a weak whisper escaped.

'Shuyin asks why we are searching about Auron' Riku said.

'You know the answer'

Riku half smiling turned to the man and answered his question since he had now the permission to do so. 'We fear that Lockhart..' he answered but Shuyin forced him to stop and grabbed him and Rinoa and lead them into a dark room.

'This name should not be mentioned publically. You mean Lea Lockhart right?'

'Yes… how do you know?' Rinoa asks that finally regained her self control.

'You are afraid about the 11th warrior, right?'

'Yes… you know about that?'

'The elders fear that as well… we are investigating about him… we try to find out where he is sealed and make sure that his seal is not broken.' He explained.

'Really?'

'Really' he confirmed.

Rinoa looked at Riku happily and then at Shuyin. 'Can we help? Or at least be informed about the progress?'

'You should talk with the elders.' Shuyin said. 'Do you have a place to stay?'

'We just came to town…' Rinoa started.

'So you don't. That's okay… you will come to my house.'

'Isn't that risky Shuyin? You may be in danger?' Riku half asked, half pointed out.

'It's ok'

'Mr. Shuyin… I don't want to be a burden… you don't know me… I believe it is not right from us…' Rinoa started.

'Hush Rinoa! You are Lenne's sister and Ellone Loire Heartilly's grand daughter.'

'What does that mean? That I am worth protecting?' Shuyin lowered his head. 'I don't want people to think I am precious because of my blood. I deserve at least to live this war for who I am' she added.

'Rinoa… there are many things you don't know.'

'Then tell me!' She insisted.

'Later. I promise.' He took out of his bag a key. 'Go to my house. It's where I lived ten years ago Riku' he said and gave them the keys. He held for a moment Rinoa's hand and then got up and left.

* * *

Rinoa with Riku entered Shuyin's house. It was simple and quite big for one person. She walks inside and looks around. As she walks inside the bedroom, she notices a photo next to the bed on a small table.

'Lenne' she whispers.

'Lenne was a person he loved and supported till she was killed by Lockhart. He helped her hide and saw her die. We fought our last battle trying to protect him.' Riku said from behind her.

'That's why he joined the 'Symphony of Legends'? Like Auron did?'

'I guess'

'We have to wait to get some answers I guess right?' she said and looked at Riku back and smiled faintly.

* * *

Shuyin after the meeting with Rinoa went to the office of one of the five columns, as the leaders were called. The five columns of the Symphony Of Legends. He knocked.

'Come in!' came the voice of a woman.

'Excuse me… Miss Lulu for disturbing you but I wish to talk with you about a very urgent matter' Shuyin said and bowed a bit to her. She was looking some papers but she let them down.

'Ok… come on and tell me then.' She said and smiled. 'Do you want coffee or something?'

'Just water please' he answered.

'Ok then.' She picked her phone up. 'Bring a glass of water to my office please Miss Cross'. She put it down and looked at him with calm yet serious face. 'I am ready. Tell me.'

'Well… miss Lulu as you know… we suspect that Lea Lockhart has done something with this 11th warrior and I met today a mage of this war that came here to seek information about Auron since she is searching about the 11th warrior as well.'

'How come and she does that?'

'I do not know ma'am. I told her to go to my house… and I think she had because her warrior and I know each other from the previous war'

'Which Lockhart was involved'

'Yes…'

'Who is the warrior?'

'The Wolf of Ice, Riku'

'And the mage?'

'Heartilly. Rinoa Heartilly' Shuyin whispered.

'I see. So the younger sister is one of the ten as well.. with the same warrior.'

'Yes ma'am' he said. 'Is she allowed to use our library?'

'Yes' Lulu said after she gave it some thought. 'Yes… she can… but as fewer people know about that, the better for her'

'Yes.' He said and got up. As he was about to exit he turned and looked at the woman 'If she has really made a contract or anything with this warrior, she must be defeated for someone else to be winner right?

'Right.'

'What will we do?'

'We can't interfere… but I don't want her to be a winner again.'

'But… if we don't interfere… she will.'

'There is also an other mind user, with The Lost Soul of Abyss, Roxas, as her warrior.'

'Still… she has also a best suited for mind users.'

'We don't know Shuyin, the future. Be patient and have faith. Have a good day' she said and continued examining her papers.

* * *

Rinoa was sitting on the couch looking at the watch for two hours when a knock was heard. Riku got up and went toward the door.

'Who is it?'

'Shuyin.'

Rikku opened the door and the man entered his house. Rinoa looked at him and he looked at her. Rikku looked once at his mistress and then to the blond man.

'So?' she asked with a trembling voice.

'You can.'

'Really?' Rinoa said without taking a breath from the sudden joy. 'We can Riku! We can!' she said at her warrior and closed her eyes as she got up. 'We really can.'

* * *

'Cloud.' A voice said and a warm hand was on his face.

'Mmm?' he said.

'Cloud… you need to wake up..' the voice said calmly but strongly.

'Why?' he asked and turned his back to the voice.

'They asked your service.' The voice answered,

'Ok…' he said and opened unwillingly his eyes. Namine was sitting on the end of his bed. 'It was you.'

'Who other female would wake you up? Who other person?'

'No one' he said and smiled 'No one' he said again with a sadder voice.

'Are you all right Cloud?'

'Yes!' he answered and smiled widely. 'Just a little dizzy from sleep.'

'Good. Wash your face and change. They said to hurry.'

'Ok.' She got up and was about to leave the room. 'By the way how are you?'

'I am fine.' She answered and smiled at him. 'Better start preparing.'

He nodded and she left closing the door. He got up and looked at the mirror again as he changed his clothes. The same person was there… with the same eyes… and the same needs.

* * *

Roxas was sitting at the couch and Namine was in her room listening to music and drawing. Cloud had left about half an hour ago. They hadn't talked at all after the whole incident.

'Roxas.' Namine suddenly said and Roxas looked back and saw her standing a few inches away from him. He really hadn't felt or heard her coming. 'I want to talk to you.'

'Yes…' he said and got up. There was the couch between them representing the wall they both had placed around themselves. Not to one another only but also to the whole world.

'Whether it is comfortable or not, we are bound by a contract so… I will not allow what happened to be against me. I don't want to die.' She looked right into his eyes and then lowered her gaze. 'I won't die.'

'I understand and I completely agree with you. We should just do our best till this is over.' He said.

'So… I want to learn more magic… and perhaps if there is a way to locate where some of my enemies are.'

'You want to attack?'

'I am not sure yet. But shouldn't I?' she asked and some tears gathered in her eyes. She shook her head and closed her eyes as hard as she could and wiped the few tears that escaped with her hand. She took a big breath and with a wave of determination filling her up, she looked at him with her eyes that were neither sad nor happy.

'You should but…' he said and looked with his sad blue eyes into her eyes. 'I don't want you to.' He smiled sadly. 'I don't want you to become like most of the previous ones.'

'Yes… you want me to be like the few ones. She belonged there right? Your first kind mistress.'

'Yes…'

'Were there many like me after her. Or am I the second?'

'I had some kind mistress after Elfy… but no one resembled her as you.'

'I see.' She said and went a step back. 'That's all I had to say. Tell me when you'll be ready to continue our training.' The phone rang and she went to pick it up leaving him staring at space without showing she cared.

'Hello?' he heard her say. 'Yuki!' a joyful voice. 'I am all right… Sorry for the cancel.' There is a pause and she laughs with something he says. 'I see… then I guess I should do something to restore your day eh?' she asked with a joking way. He closed his eyes and waited to hear the rest of the conversation. 'I am waiting for you to eat with me at home. I cook.' Roxas goes a little closer and sees her smiling like she did before. 'Yes! Yes! I am waiting for you! Be quick!' she hang it down and after a small pause she smiles widely and rushes to the kitchen.

Roxas went back to the living room and sat again on the couch. It was sad that he also believed that this Yuki deserved her smile more than he did. And it was a matter of fact that he could make her smile very easily.

* * *

Ashe was late and for a moment he was worried that something had happened to her. But she wasn't dead.

If she was, he wouldn't be here.

He got out of the apartment and run down to the street. It was getting dark… he looked at the watch he had been given by Ashe. It was 21:00. Where could she be? She was out for sever hours. He concentrated and tried to understand where her aura was. He felt a faint hint from the north so he started walking towards that direction.

Honestly… she was the one that told him to be always on time. And she was three whole hours late.

It started to rain. Squall detested the rain… he detested water. That was why his nickname was one if a big cat. He was strong like a lion but disliked the water like any cat. He run near a building and started walking side by side the walls so he wouldn't get very wet. Of course he would have to be in the rain when he would be at the end of the city or when he would have to go across a road.

Suddenly as he walked and was in the middle of a two roads, from the left someone was coming. He turned slowly his head and looked at the man who was walking looking down. His blond wet hair was stuck on his face. He walked without knowing he was looking at him… till he stopped and with a sudden movement he raised his head and looked at Squall's.

'You?' came a whisper but Squall was able to hear it. For a moment he didn't know what to do but after a moment he smiled and walked towards the man who was standing there like a statue.

'Hello, is your sister all right?'

The man shocked from this behavior a bit, he didn't expect it probably, smiled after a while and with a trembling voice he answered. 'She'll survive.'

_This will be difficult though… very difficult. _

'That's good to hear. Where are you going? Maybe we go towards the same direction?'

'To the central offices of the guard… you?'

'To the north side of the city.' He answered. He smiled to the man and added. 'We go the same way'

'Yes' the man whispered. 'I work there.' He added after realizing he was staring at Squall's chest whose details were viewable thanks to the rain. How much he hated the rain!

'I know… you are Captain Strife. Everyone called you that.' Squall answered.

'Yes… Umm… your… name?' the man asked with a shaking voice.

Now what to say? He couldn't, in no way, say that his name was Squall. If he mentioned his name Roxas would get suspicious. It was not a common name and to them coincidences did not exist. And to put more trouble to him he also didn't have a surname. Well he could just say a first name and then wait if Cloud would ask for a surname.

'Umm I asked you…' Cloud started again.

'Leon.' Was the quick answer. 'My name is Leon Leonheart.'

'Funny' the man pointed out and laughed. Squall smiled. It was a little funny after all. 'But it suits you… I think'

'Really?'

'Really.'

Suddenly Squall felt that he was again under the rain and grabbing Cloud's hand he run under a tent that was on the pavement. 'We should get on our way… we don't want to be late, do we?'

'We don't' Cloud answered playfully and started walking side by side to the buildings. To this part of the city there were tents from above which made their walk even better.

'You don't like water?'

'No, not at all. I despise it I must say.'

'I see… like my sister…'

'She prefers the sunny days?' he asked him.

'No, not at all' Cloud smiled without giving more information.

'Then?' Squall said as he was curious. After all that girl was the one he should kill.

'She likes it when there are clouds and the sun is hiding but you can tell where it is. The sky is awesomely beautiful then. She is a little artist you know and she appreciates stuff like that.' Cloud laughed.

'Artist?'

'She draws.'

'Is she good?'

Cloud looked around and being sure that no one was near leaned to Squall's ear. 'Very good.' he went a step back leaving Squall feeling his heart beating fast and feeling the cold. Feeling the cold at the places Cloud's warm hand had touched. 'But that's a secret. I tell her she is awful.'

'What a cruel elder brother you are!'

'I am not cruel!' Cloud protested like he was insulted.

'Then what are you?'

'A brother that adores teasing his sister. After all everybody else says she is awesome and as it is widely known, my opinion doesn't matter in art. My opinion doesn't matter anywhere actually'

'What a sweet little sister you have.'

'Yes… Namine is' he remembered her yells and how cynical she was with him. 'Adorable'

Suddenly as they turned a woman fell on them. 'Mis..' Squall started but remembered that he couldn't call her like that with Cloud around. 'Miss Ashe.' He said. It fitted with the beginning after all. He wouldn't get suspicious. 'Where have you been all day?'

'I was searching..' she started but then noticed Cloud. She smiled and started at his chest like Squall did before. 'Who is this?'

'This is Captain Cloud Strife. He was walking with me since we were going to the same directory. I was looking for you actually.' Squall explained.

'Hello Miss…?'

'Ashelia Dalmasca. Call me Ashe' she said and placed a hand on Squall's shoulder. 'Nice to meet you.'

'Nice to meet you too.' He looked at his watch. 'Oh shit!' he said under his breath. 'I am really sorry but I have to go. Nice to meet you again, Miss Dalmasca. Leon' he looked at the man 'It was nice to see you again.' He run at the other side of the street where he stopped and looked back at them. He was about to say something but instantly regretted it and continued running to his destination.

'Leon?' Ashe asked. She crossed her hands to her chest.

'Well…' Squall said and scratched his head a little.

'What happened Squall?' she asked.

'A lot…'

* * *

Lea turned to a dark street and after making sure that no one was there she unsealed Kadaj from inside her. She had fifteen people following her. Fiffteen! Honestly! It took, even her, hours to get rid of them!

'Irritating isn't it? To be watched?'

'Like hell' she said. 'This was such a tiring day. I am waiting for the last bit of unfortunate to ruin it completely.' Lea said.

It started raining. She raised her hand and felt the rain.

'Is this acceptable?' Kadaj asked her.

'It could be worse.' She said trying to convince herself. Kadaj smiled from behind.

'I was stuck inside you though… you have no idea how uncomfortable it was.' He said trying to change the subject. Lea was of the people that other people's misery made her forget hers.

'Ha! You should be honored that you were inside someone like me!' she said jokingly.

'Ha! It's not you the problem! It's that I was without a body.'

'You proposed this idea!' she accused him. After a moment they started laughing. Lea walked out of the street into the main road.

People were reducing. That was good… she felt much more comfortable alone.

'But it is amazing.' She said calmly as they walked in the rain.

'Useful huh?'

'Yup.' She said. 'Say Kadaj, if you fought with Roxas… do you think you would win?' she asked him.

'Perhaps… I have the qualities but Roxas is a very cunning person. His best point is creating traps. That's how he won most of his battles.'

'I am sure about that.' She said remembering when he nearly killed her. It felt so far away… so long. The Lea then… was nothing like the Lea now. 'I think you could win, if you were concentrated.'

'If you say so…' Kadaj said. 'I am honored Mistress'

'Mistress? I guess I am… but this is the first time you call me like that'

'And probably the last' Kadaj answered back.

'You don't want to spoil me right?'

'Right! It is my duty as your warrior.'

Suddenly Lea stopped as she felt the presence of a certain person. She run towards a small road and as she reached the end of it… she saw…

The mind user's brother and the cat!

She felt Kadaj grabbing her from the waist and pulling her to the shadows while he hid their presence. 'Don't do careless things like that Lea! What if he found you?' Kadaj whispered in her ear.

Despite how annoying this whispering in her ear was… considering the situation and that he had saved her in a way, she forgot about that for a moment. She just nodded.

* * *

All right! That's it everyone. A review always makes my day and motivates me to update sooner.

Edelin.


	10. Chapter 10

**Aythor's Note: **I know it's been a while to all the people who read this but I simply forgot about it... had so many homework.

* * *

**Title: **The Cruelest Smile, Her Deepest Desires

Ashe changed her clothes and went to the living room and lay on the couch. Squall still with his clothes from before was standing at his usual spot, gazing out of the window with a slightly sad expression that made her think of him nearly as a creature with feelings. But every time this happened she reminded herself that he was a weapon to kill… an object.

And objects don't have feelings.

'Who is Cloud Strife?' she asked.

'The mind user's, Namine Strife's, elder brother.' He answered.

'So you changed your name because of this?' she asked.

'Yes… it would probably be mentioned after all the things that happened and I didn't want Roxas to get suspicious.' Squall said.

'What happened?' she said and sat up.

'His sister fainted on my arms, without her warrior near but unfortunately with many witnesses around.' He said.

'What?'

'His sister fainted…' he started again.

'I heard that!' she cut him furiously. 'The mind user?'

'Yes.'

'I need to think what we will do with her.' Ashe said. 'Do you think this meeting you have with her brother would be useful?' she asked him rather than thinking. Or she just said her thought out loud.

'I can't approach her because Roxas will know that I am who I am… but we could learn about her daily life.' Squall said.

'Why is that useful?'

'If we want to attack from behind it is better to do it in a place where not many can see… so less people would be killed.' Squall explained.

'You are a weapon cat! You don't care about who dies and who lives.' Ashe said with a low voice. Squall closed his eyes to control the growing anger. It was what he hated the most about Ashe… this stupid way of her to be stuck at things that would kill her in the end. He opened them. He would play her game then…

_Not that I care_

'Indeed. Your first order was to be an object. My deepest apologies!' Squall said.

'Forgiven' Ashe said and got up. 'Now… tell me what you think we should do?'

'I am an object ma'am. My job is to serve not to think.'

'Don't play smart! As an object you are supposed to serve, have a usage!' she said coldly.

'What do you want me to think about?'

'What is wiser to do in the situation we are in?'

'It is certainly not wise to attack without being careful. The best is to deceive the enemy and then from the behind hit and kill quickly. We should no hesitate, but neither rush things.'

'What about the brother?'

'He may be useful, he may not.'

'Explain!'

'If he is an easy to earn his trust person, he can tell us many things about his sister, if he is not he may be suspicious and talk about that with his sister and her warrior.' He said leaving the consequences of this be unheard but rather thought.

'So what do we do?'

'We wait till we understand what kind of person he is and then act according to our advantages.'

Ashe smiled cruelly and lay again on the couch. Squall's eyes for a moment changed as he looked at the sky and heard the raindrops. He told her despite not wanting to.

He didn't want to kill Cloud, but neither leave him mourning for his sister's death… in which he would be the traitor despite not wanting to. Squall had seen many like him… had used many like he would use him… and always felt ashamed of that.

* * *

Tifa opened the door of the car and looked at the beautiful city. She had been traveling all night to come here. She breathed the air and felt the strong presence of magic this place held. This was after all where the Symphony of legends had their ' headquarters'. Many wizards and witches lived here. The last battles always happened here from ancient years.

'Mistress?' Seifer asked from inside the car.

'Yes?' she answered.

'Should I take your luggage and go to the place we are supposed to stay, or wherever you order me to?'

'No… we will go with the car in front of the house and then you carry them.' She said and opened the door and went in. 'Go to the house.' She told the driver.

'Mistress?' Seifer asked again.

'Yes?'

'Without wanting to show that I am lazy or anything, the city is huge… if we need to explore it or anything it is better to have a car or something like a car. I know the city very well but you don't and it is necessary to learn it.' He couldn't finish his sentence because of Tifa's hand on his lips.

'Don't worry Seifer, there is a car waiting for us in the garage of the house.' She said. 'I guess with my aunt you couldn't use a car since she was under eighteen?'

'Yes..' he nodded. Actually they did… Lea had taken the car of the garage and learned to drive on her own with a little of Seifer's information about the rules of the roads. He still remembered what dangerous paths she took and how they nearly died once. Even now… he was loyal to her… he didn't tell her 'disobedience', although it wouldn't matter at all now.

* * *

Rinoa was there, out of Lulu's office, waiting for their first meeting… and to negotiate about whether she would be able or not to enter their library. Shuyin was inside talking with her and Riku next to her was waiting patiently and without anxiousness. She glanced at him and wondered if he really was as cold as he looked to be, or he was like that because of the role he had been given. The warrior of Ice had to be Ice after all! She lived her life according to that. Rinoa knew from a young age who she was, what she could do, and how she should be. She was the younger daughter of a family that had lost many daughters so her whole childhood was covered with grief and the feeling of the unwanted. Every time her father looked at her, she saw that he was waiting for her to die… that's why he never approached her. Her mother killed herself after Lenne's fall… she couldn't bear the pain and Rinoa wasn't enough for her to keep surviving.

And little Rinoa was left alone with her powers and her obligations.

'Come in!' Shuyin said and reminded her of where she was. She took a breath and entered the room with Riku by her side. Her eyes fell immediately on the black haired woman who was Lulu. She looked at her bravely and proudly. She was asking a favor but through that she was going to help them.

'Miss Heartilly I presume?' she asked and offered her hand. Rinoa politely took it and shook it, smiling. Riku nearly raised an eyebrow at that site and Shuyin… well; he had a longing look on his face.

'Yes… Miss Besaid' Rinoa answered and let go of Lulu's hand.

'Drop the formalities please, call me Lulu. May I call you Rinoa?'

'Of course! I was ready to ask you to drop the formalities too.' They laughed and sat at their seats. Rinoa looked at Riku and nodded him to seat. Shuyin sat as well after a nod from Lulu.

'Ok…. So you are afraid that Lea Lockhart has agreed to have the eleventh warrior as her warrior for this war?'

'I am not sure if she has or not, but I know that she is the kind of woman that would accept.' Rinoa answered truthfully. She decided to trust that woman from the moment they shook hands. She was the kind of person she could easily associate and if she survived they could be good friends. Not that Rinoa ever had a real friend…

'I'm sure she would.' Lulu said under her breath and then with a clear and loud voice she asked the other woman. 'Have you ever had the chance of meeting Lea?'

'No…' she said and glanced at Riku. 'I don't want to.' She added immediately.

'Aw… no, Rinoa. Lea is a sight worth seeing. But not trustworthy. You know…' she started but didn't finish her sentence.

'I am not sure if I do Lulu.' Rinoa said wanting to learn the rest of it.

'We want Lea to be part of us. If she chooses to come she would be part of the council and play a major role in everything.'

'But she refuses.'

'Yes… why do you think?'

'Well… because she doesn't want to.'

'Why? Why wouldn't she want?'

'Because…' Rinoa for a moment thought about it. It was a good question. Why? Rinoa would have immediately accepted. Then… 'Perhaps she is too independent to belong somewhere?'

'Good… think about that more.' Lulu says.

'Umm… she wouldn't want to be ordered to do even the slightest thing… she would have to share the power… have secrets… work with others… rely on others… suffer from other people's mistakes…' Rinoa raised her shoulders as her inspiration ran out.

'Very, very good! Now… you may start your search but have those things in mind.' Lulu got up and Rinoa followed her example. 'Your warrior should also talk to you about how Lea fought and tell you his opinion about her… Also I would be grateful… if you informed me about everything you find'

'Yes… thank you.' Rinoa said.

* * *

'Here we are!' Tifa said as she opened the door. Seifer entered and remembered everything he and Lea had lived here. It was here where he saw her change… He took Tifa's luggage and placed it on the bed where Lea slept.

'That's not where I'll sleep' Tifa said. Seifer turned at her and quickly grabbed her suitcase. Tifa wanted to sleep in a room full of light. Lea had chosen the darkest. 'Since we have space you can sleep also on a bed in a room.'

'Which one Mistress?' he asked.

'Choose one' she said. Seifer didn't have to think about where he wanted to sleep. It was at the darkest room. 'I will rest for an hour and then we can start searching for mages.' Tifa ordered and closed her door.

Seifer stared for a moment at the door and then he went to the room where he would sleep. He closed the door behind him and a bittersweet smile spread across his face. He felt her presence in the room actually… as strongly as then. But that couldn't be… Lea must have not returned here since then… it was probably his imagination. He looked around and saw on a chair a black short. He went to it and took it into his hands. It was Lea's! That was sure... he felt her all over it.

_How? Is there a chance she forgot it from then…_

He shook his head and threw the shirt away. It was his imagination. It couldn't have been left from then… someone is cleaning the house. And it couldn't be hers because she wouldn't have wanted to come back here. He shook his head again. This time roughly… more violent. He fell on the bed and closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep… not because he was tired but because through sleep he would not think of anything. Neither her nor him.

* * *

Lea was able to get out of the house just in time. A moment later and Tifa would have found her there. She jumped from the window of the bathroom and run away from the house. She had cast some very simple and cheap spells to cover her presence and was nearly sure that Seifer would realize her presence. She hoped he would say nothing to Tifa.

She hated it! To have to depend on someone else… She stopped and looked around for Kadaj. He was nowhere to be found. She actually didn't feel him at all.

'Kadaj!' she asked as she made a circle of her self. Suddenly a hand grabbed her from the waist and an other hand closed her mouth. Immediately she entered this mind and found resistance. With a hard hit with her elbow directly at her opponent's stomach she freed herself only to find that the one she hit was Kadaj. It took her a moment to realize what was happening and comprehend with the situation. 'WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?' She practically screamed at him.

'It was supposed to be a cute prank… but I guess with you such think can never happen' Kadaj said still touching his stomach. 'You surely are strong Lea.'

'And you had the _fantastic_ idea of playing it on _me_ now? Now that we are homeless… and the adrenaline in my veins is running wild?' She asked calmly with a low voice that couldn't hide the anger and slight excitement she felt.

'I don't know… as I saw you running I had the idea and did it. Take it as a way to test your reflects' He said trying to calm her down. 'Don't get pissed off Lea….' He said and a smile appeared on his face that showed a small uneasiness.

'I didn't sense you at all.' Lea said after a moment relaxing and instantly the situation changed.

Kadaj smiled and closed his eye to Lea. 'I am worthy of being your warrior, aren't I?' he asked. Lea smiled back at him and then she looked back at the house she used so many years.

'You know… I thought of that place as my own…' her voice was nearly caring… had tender emotions. 'But it's not.' She said bitterly. Her eyes were getting warmer and controlled herself not to cry.

'It reminded you of then… of what you once were right? Of him?' Kadaj said and touched her shoulder.

'I don't know…' she turned at him with her usual black eyes with her usual strength. 'I felt home' she said and with a breath she returned to her usual self. 'Anyway… being like that is pathetic! We should decide where to sleep.'

'We can always sleep on a bench…' Kadaj said only to be sought by a furious look from Lea.

'You have the _funny _idea that I, Lea Lockhart, would sleep on a bench?'

'Noooo….' Kadaj answered innocently.

'Someone as special as me demands a bed and four walls.' She said and turned her back. 'At least' she added and went to the square were some hotels were.

'Those are expensive… why don't we try a cheaper one?' he asked.

Lea turned at him and raised an eyebrow ironically. 'Quite stingy, aren't we?'

'I am trying to save your money and look what I get.' Kadaj said with indignation.

'Oh thank you then for the concern but…' Lea said with a fake voice. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a strange look that could not be described with the words that have been created till now. 'I am not using MY money but the family's.'

'Won't you be in trouble?' Kadaj asked concerned.

'I don't think so…I usually spent none so… they will say nothing and most of the incomes are thanks to me. I deserve to spend quite a lot, don't I?' She said and walked towards one hotel.

* * *

Seifer was lying on the bed with closed eyes not being able to sleep. The door opened… he stayed still like he was expecting something bad to happen. He felt a shadow over him. Again he did nothing. He heard footsteps… felt a presence coming near. He opened slightly his eyes. A hand slightly touched his shoulder. Immediately he grabbed the hand and created his sword that was placed on Tifa's throat.

'Seifer!'

'It's you, mistress' he said and relaxed. The sword disappeared from his hand and he slowly let go of Tifa's hand. There was a bruise.

'Who did you expect to be?' she asked as she touched her wrist. She made a grimace of pain. She looked at him again 'Honestly! Who did you expect to be?'

That was a good rhetorical question. Who did he wait? A monster? An enemy? A voice inside him… creepy and shuddering… had the answer.

_You expect no one. _

And no one expects me.

'We are going out. In five minutes I want you at the door.' Tifa said angry and left the room. Seifer looked at his hands. For a moment he saw the blood on them. He shook his head and they were again as they used to be. Empty.

* * *

Rinoa entered the library. It was huge… so much knowledge in one place. She walked to the middle of the room and looked from up to down. She looked back at him but before she could say something a man approached her.

'Hello, my fair lady. Can I help you with something?' the man asked.

'Eh, no thank you…' she started out of custom but remembered that she needed help. 'Actually yes… I would love some help.'

'Tell me then.' He said eagerly.

'You see… I am here to search about a certain person but it's my first time in this library so would you mind giving me some directions as to how the books are ordered or anything that could help us?'

'You are a mage I presume right?' He received a suspicious look from Rinoa. 'I mean you have some magical powers or are you just someone that knows about magic.'

'I have… magical powers' she said. Riku went closer to her.

'Is this man with you miss…?' he asked wanting two information at the same time.

'Yes he is. I am Rinoa... Heartily Rinoa.' She said. His eyes widened for a moment but then he restrained himself.

'I see.' He said with a slight shadow in his eyes that immediately disappeared but didn't go unnoticed by Riku's and Rinoa's trained eyes. 'The library is magical. You use your powers and think of what you want to find. Then all the information appears in a 'book'.' He said. 'I have to go check something… if you need any help tell someone you are a friend of Irvine ok?'

'Ok' she said as he run at a blond girl that was waiting for him at the entrance.

* * *

'She is, Miss Rikku' Irvine said to the blond girl who was walking next to him.

'Miss Rikku? Honestly I didn't expect you calling me that? You of all people!' Rikku said.

'Umm.. well… Sorry. Rikku' he corrected himself.

'Much better'

'Say… Rikku… will we use Rinoa to capture Lea? Will we sacrifice her?' He asked stopping.

'I don't know… Lulu and I will try to protect her but I am not sure for how much we will be able to. The other three members of the council are more powerful than us and they have their own way of dealing things' Rikku said. 'But… I will protect her till my power will not be able to affect people.'

'It is so lame if we are using her… she will find the information we seek and then we will have her being killed since she won't have any more usage.'

'Irvine, don't be a fool.' Rikku said and looked at the sky. 'Lea has summoned the eleventh warrior.'

* * *

'I didn't like how he looked at you when he heard your name' Riku said after the man was away.

'Neither did I. Do you think he knows who I am? He could have recognized you?' Rinoa said.

'No… he is too young to be part of the organization for enough years and even if he was a member then… he wouldn't be allowed to see me and know my identity.' Riku said.

'Perhaps Lulu talked with some about me… while she was thinking about my request?' Rinoa suggested.

'Perhaps. Anyway let's get to work… we need to learn about Auron.'

* * *

'Say Lea… why are we here?' Kadaj asked. They had cast a spell that changed his appearance since he refused to be sealed again after only some hours he had a body.

'I was bored… and well the library is a good place to spend my time.' Lea answered as she picked a book from the shell and looked at its content.

'We are in a beautiful town and you go to the library… honestly!' Kadaj said in desperation.

'I have been to this town so many times that I can't admire her anymore… except for some places at certain hours.' Lea pointed and put the book to its original place.

'Did you come here then?' he asked in a low voice.

'Of course not! I wasn't allowed then…. And I was too worried about my safety to do it.' Lea said as she walked to the other side of the library's selves.

'I see. So Seifer didn't have to go through that boredom.'

'Seifer wouldn't complain even if I had him locked in a room for days. And apart from that, he would enjoy being in a place with so many knowledge. He would probably after some time ask me if he could read as well.' Lea said.

Kadaj made a grimace and looked away. Lea half smiled at his reaction. Suddenly a presence entered the hall different than all the others. At the same moment Lea's and Kadaj's heads look her way. It was a black haired girl with a man with Silver long hair following. She walked a little and Irvine approached her. Even to Lea that knew Irvine's weak point for cute girls, she knew this wasn't a simple meeting because right outside of the library she felt the presence of Rikku Doyle, one of the five members of the council. She saw her from the window staring at Irvine and that girl. And after a moment she remembered the man. Riku, the Wolf Of Ice!

'Go and see what they are talking about.' She whispered at him. At the same time she went and hid behind a column. After some moments she heard Kadaj's voice in her mind.

_She __is a mage that takes place in this war. The one researching for us. It seems Irvine just made sure she wouldn't waste time trying to figure out how to search and of course to make sure that she was the mage he had been told to keep an eye on. _

_Rikku ordered him?_

_Yes… but Lulu must have played her part as well. I think it wasn't because of her that they learned about me. They just used her as a good excuse._

_So she is to be used?_

_Probably._

_Keep an eye on her… I want to know what she is researching exactly. Learn everything you can but make sure she and Riku feel nothing._

_Ok. You go hide. Riku might recognize you.

* * *

_

Tifa locked the door and turned her back at him. She wasn't mad about the incident before but she certainly hadn't forgotten it. She did her best to show that she was calm but Seifer couldn't be fooled easily. She walked past him to the other side of the street. He quickly followed. She was walking a bit fast with Seifer easily following without being tired or anything. It seemed she was angrier than she seemed to be. Suddenly she stopped and looked at a small road… dark and dirty. She went closer like something was there but she couldn't tell what it was. Whatever that was, like a magnet was pulling her into the road. She went into it and a rat run over her feet.

'Ahhh!' She screamed and ran at Seifer grabbing him from the waist. 'What was it?'

'A rat' Seifer said simply and Tifa froze. She let go of him after a moment, turned her back at him and crossed her hands.

'Stupid rat' she mumbled. Then after a moment she looked back at him and then at the road again. This time the road wasn't attractive bur rather disgusting. 'What's wrong with that place?'

'Nothing' Seifer answered simply. 'The problem is that a mage can be found if we follow it.'

'Mage?' Tifa asked. 'I was… it was… a trap?'

'Yes… but I don't think it was a trap. The ability to attract is a Holy user's basic ability. It is her ace! She uses it and her warrior attacks from behind.' Seifer said. 'It can be very helpful if it's used correctly because everyone can be trapped but they usually don't take advantage of it because of their character.'

'Character?' Tifa asked.

'Yes… they are let's say… too good for their own good. But since that happens they always get their most suitable and no one else is allowed to summon The Crown Of Light.' He explained.

'I see… are they rare like the mind users?' she asked.

'No… quite the opposite. They are a special category of mages that have this ability which can easily turn to darkness. Or to be more exact the holy users and the darkness users, which is not an official term, are in a way in the beginning the same. But as the years pass and they grow older that neutral thing they have inside them takes it's form. A good side or a bad side.' He said. 'A holy user exists in every war … and sometimes the holy user is not a good person as she is supposed to be and that's when the hypothetical darkness users exist. But that's really rare.'

'I see…' Tifa raised her head at the sky. 'But people have a bad side and a good side don't they?'

'These mages have only one… but to be honest mistress… I am not sure if people have both sides. I haven't lived with them after all… so I don't know them' He said sadly and looked at the sky as well. Tifa looked at him and for a moment she thought he would cry. Seifer looked at her and closed his eyes for a while.

This was nothing like the thing she had been taught…. He was so human. 'Anyway let's get going!' she said and took the street that lead to the square. They walked in silence with Seifer a step behind her and Tifa looking only ahead. The scent of the holy user was present… a little stronger. They kept walking away from the square into roads that the richer citizens lived. Tifa with a sign looked back and crossed her arms. She looked away.

'So… What do we do now?' she asked.

'Whatever you command' he answered.

'What did your previous mistress did when she was in my position?' she asked.

'Lea is alive… I cannot tell you about her before she dies.' Seifer answered.

Tifa gave him an angry look. 'Then what about those who have died? You can talk about them right? What would they do?'

'Some would wait to be attacked thus they would never let their guard down. Others would try to find their enemies and kill them before they make a move and few would do nothing but wait to see what will happen.' He answered.

'I see.' She said and they started walking again.

Something was coming to him though as he went closer to the houses… like a force within an even bigger force. Something like from his past. He couldn't believe it. He hadn't felt that for ten years… this strong, pure, calming power that was like an elixir. Could it be…? Was there a chance that SHE…? She? He closed his eyes. No! No: it couldn't be Lea. She now had the chilling aura. But this was definitely an aura of a mind user! He was sure about that! Of a beginner mind user. He looked around trying desperately to locate the source or at least a destination towards the source. And he felt a slight hint that it was from the houses ahead. They had to keep walking. He glanced at Tifa wondering if he should tell her now. Eventually he would… but… should he tell her now? His mouth answered his question by calling her. 'Mistress' She stopped and looked back at him. 'Do you feel it?'

'What?' she asked oblivious of the aura while she narrowed her eyes.

'The aura…' he said.

'I don't feel something like that…' She said. 'But… I have a strange feeling for some minutes now...'

'It's an aura mistress. The aura of a mind user.' Seifer said. Tifa's eyes widened as she looked at the houses in front.

* * *

'Lea… should I follow her?' Kadaj asked as he watched the girl borrow a book. They were hiding behind a column.

'Yes… learn where she lives.' She ordered. 'What is she researching for?'

'A way to find if you have me as your warrior or not.' He answered under his breath. They both were under a strong stress about not letting them go without knowing everything she wanted… they wanted.

'Is there a way?' Lea asked.

'I don't know… but for everything there is a way… and she holds a very dangerous book' he said as he walked out of the library following them.

'Dangerous book' Lea muttered and a hand touched her shoulder. Despite being shocked she turned to face Lulu with a blond man behind her calmly like nothing had happened. 'Oh hello Lulu! And hello to you sir!' she said with her usual smile. 'I didn't feel you at all.'

'That's a compliment! The great Lea Lockhart for a moment couldn't feel my presence… I guess I have become quite good at hiding, haven't I Shuyin?'

'Yes ma'am' Shuyin answered. 'I will go do as you told me now.' He said to Lulu. Then he glanced at Lea with a look that hid hate and a bit of admiration. 'My honor to have met you… _miss Lockhart_'

'Oh.. but we have met before, _Shuyin_. I remembered you just now. You were helping the Wolf Of Ice mistress of the previous war?' She smiled as he saw the glance of pain into his eyes. 'I killed her in front you right? It was one of the easiest battles I had.' She laughed. She gave a look at the entrance of the library where some minutes ago Rinoa was standing. 'Could it be that you are helping this years Ice princess too? How kind of you!' she said went closer to him and touched his cheek. The man immediately went a step back and after receiving a nod from Lulu he walked away from them. 'Well… I'll get going now' she said to the other black haired woman. As she turned her back she felt Lulu's thought

_**BITCH!**_

This made her smile. She truly could be.

* * *

Ok Everyone here is a question for you: Should I continue uploading this and not care about reviews and such... Just so you know I haven't touched this story for a year and it hasn;t finished. There are still 3-4 chapters to write and I have finished now 22 chapters. (This one Chapter 12). Or should I just delete the story from the net? And If I should continue, is anyone willing to beta the chapters because I have no one right now. I will wait for two weeks... if I receive no answer I will just delete the whole thing.

Thank you very much for your time


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note:** I will continue the story since there are really people out there that like it. I would like to thank XSilverLiningsX and Leirative who beta -ed the chapter. Hope everyone will enjoy.

Disclaimer: The characters and the names of the cities are property of Square Enix, a song that is used in a scene is by Natasha Bedingfield. The title along with some words by Lea are taken from XxxHolic... they are Yuuko's actually.

* * *

Title: A Bond Of Fate Never Disappears Once Tied

"A mind user. The aura of a mind user", Seifer shuddered as he said that out loud. Tifa had been paralyzed from the shock and perhaps the terror. She looked at him with eyes full of anxiety… of the little Tifa he once knew.

"Like my aunt you mean?" she asked dumpily.

"Is there other meaning in mind user?" he asked her. She formed a smile that quickly brought tears to her eyes, fell on her knees and looked at the road ahead. She cried and her breath changed… she was trembling. Could Tifa really be afraid of the idea of an enemy, even if it was a mind user? Seifer understood that she could. Lea had been the wall she had to overcome. And even if she won… if she didn't win as quickly as Lea, as easily as Lea, she would still be considered lower. And Tifa knew that mind users were not just powerful… she felt Lea's aura, she knew that Lea had power on her warrior and that mind users were nearly unbeatable. "Can you see who her warrior is?" she asked still on the floor with red eyes.

"Not yet. If we walk a little more I might be able though." he said. "But…" he didn't know if Tifa would be emotionally ready to handle his suspicions which made him hesitate to continue.

"Go on." she whispered. "I'll handle what's coming." she said like she had thought of the same thing he did.

"I don't think she summoned her warrior by will, if she has summoned one yet. She certainly knows about magic existence though but she is a beginner. Even if she doesn't have Roxas… she has someone like Sephiroth" Tifa shuddered at his name.

"I am going to die. I know that." she said as she sobbed.

"What will we do mistress?" Seifer asked.

"Walk and see the one who is going to win." Tifa said and got up with a little difficulty. Seifer clasped her waist and holding her like that they continued walking. He felt her hot tears on his skin as he looked at the road ahead. The mind user was somewhere there living a life she would probably be able to continue with a wish fulfilled.

* * *

"We know she did it." Lulu said at the meeting and looked at the three men. Rikku, next to her, nodded in agreement. "We must do something. There is a reason why he was sealed. Bad things may happen and it's our job to clean the mess… at best prevent it." she said angrily raising her voice.

"Lulu." the voice of the blue haired man was heard. "Even if she did summon him, who ever said that she is going to win? And she is already a winner… we won't have to meet a new one and control her too. Although I honestly don't think that she has done something like that."

"Sir, with all respect and forgive my rudeness, don't be naïve. Lea is a monster. A winner… she too ambitious for her own good. And you know that she has more than enough experience and skills to win."

"There is a mind user with Roxas though." the other man said, the one with the stone face, who had threatened Lea.

"And Lea has also a warrior suitable for a mind user and she is a master of the mind while the other mind user is a beginner." Rikku exclaimed in desperation. "We must do something. We must not let her have a victory twice. It's our duty!"

"Why are you two so afraid of her?" the pink haired man asked.

"I am not afraid of her Marluxia." Lulu and Rikku said at the same moment.

"Perhaps they are afraid that if she joins our ranks one of them will be replaced." the blue haired man said and the other two smiled in agreement which made Rikku and Lulu look at each other and then with disgust at the other three members.

"Because Lea is strong and clever doesn't mean she is suitable to be a leader. If you are a leader, you protect. You care about people. You sacrifice. Lea lives for herself and would easily let young people die just so she earns more." she looked at the stone faced man. "Lord Elfer, weren't you the one that told me that?"

"I was… so what of it?"

"Why do you think so lowly of me? Of Rikku?"

"We both trained under your guidance."

"I know… but I also want to hear why you think that Lea could not become a leader" the man said.

Lulu looked at Rikku and Rikku at her. They took a big breath and started explaining. "I didn't want you to learn that but I guess I have no choice. To summon fully the eleventh warrior our searchers found out that there is a need of a body. We suspect that Lea summoned him around two years ago."

"Of course she summoned him here, that is one of the most powerful magical cities." Rikku added. Lulu stayed silent and looked at the man.

"You once had a daughter right?"

"I did. What about her?" he asked feeling uneasy.

"Do you know how she died?" she asked.

"They found her dead at a street."

"When?"

"Two years ago"

"Did you ever learn who killed her?"

"No."

"It is very possible that she was the sacrifice Lea needed to give the warrior a body. She didn't have blood in her veins did she?" Lulu said and watched the man who had lost his color. The other two looked away knowing they had just lost their ally.

"Really?" He asked as his eyes had a lost look.

"Yes… and she chose her because she had magical blood and was a promising mage." Rikku said. 'It could easily have been me too."

"May I excuse myself?" he asked and the members nodded. He got up and got out of the door. Lulu and Rikku looked at the other two members.

"I guess this is the end of the meeting." the blond haired girl said and turned her back along with Lulu. The second member of the council was waiting outside.

"If you ever need help with anything about her, tell me." he said. "And don't trust the other two.". He walked away after saying one last thing. "I want to be informed about the research before the others from now on." he added.

"Yes sir." They said in an unison and went to Rikku's office.

* * *

"Leon!" someone called from behind. Squall for a moment didn't recognize the voice but soon the familiar smell reached him and turned to see Cloud wearing his uniform running to him. His heart started beating wildly as he noticed how cute he looked in his black uniform. It was breathtaking and heartbreaking this beauty of his. He finally reached him.

"Hi" he said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hi. Are you ok?" he asked worried and immediately touched his shoulder. He needed to touch him… everywhere if possible.

"I am fine" he said and looked right into his eyes and smiled. He went a step closer and their faces were close enough to feel each other's breath. Squall forged a smile… this was an elixir… HE WAS AN ELIXIR. An elixir that would be forever his drag, Squall was sure about it; he would never stop thinking of that man, he would never forget this beauty and what he made him feel. "Do you have anything to do?" Cloud asked.

"No." Leon said forgetting that he was supposed to cook for Ashe and after that, search for the mage the red heard holy user. Cloud was worth the punishment.

"Then… do you want to eat with me?" he asked immediately.

"Are you sure?" Squall asked instead of answering.

"About what?"

"Are you sure you want to eat with me?" Squall asked.

"Since I asked, of course I am." the blond answered and went slightly closer. "Do you?" he whispered.

"Yeah…" he answered in a soft whisper.

_More than you can imagine… More than I am allowed…_

"Excellent! I know of an awesome place!" Cloud said and grabbed him from the elbow. "It is this way."

It was a cozy place with few people and very relaxing. Squall sat and looked around to the world. It felt okay… nobody that could be a danger. He turned to Cloud who was calling for a waiter and a boy around eighteen came immediately.

"What would you like sirs"' he asked as he stared at Squall. He was slightly blushing and Cloud smiled at that. He let the boy keep staring and Squall looking at the boy oblivious of what was happening. Not that Cloud was better but this man made him very observant about everything concerning him.

"I want a stake with fried potatoes and the red wine that the restaurant produces." he said breaking the silence.

_Time's up! Sorry boy but that's it… he is not a statue after all. _

But the truth was that he couldn't waste more time. He wanted to talk to him, needed to talk to him and couldn't wait any longer.

"Yes sir!" the boy said returning immediately to reality and turned at the blond man. He wrote it on his small notebook and then turned at Squall again but avoided his eyes, probably afraid that he would space out like before. 'What will you order sir?'

Squall seemed to think about something and after a moment turned to Cloud. "Why don't you choose for me?"

"Ok." Cloud said. He looked at the boy. "A sea bream". The boy nodded as he wrote it down and left their table. Squall smiled as he looked at Cloud again.

"I love fish" he stated.

"I guessed so. You are so much like a cat. A bit cat." Cloud said and leaned at him "It is really obvious. Your name says it too. Leon... Lion... a big cat."

"You can't imagine how much of a cat I am" Squall muttered as he leaned back breaking the attraction spelled. Not letting himself be drowned more to the man, taking as much oxygen as he could. The man was sea… and he was a cat. He was supposed to hate water and yet, it was difficult to resist. His human side wanted his water to cover him.

"So…" Cloud said trying to open a conversation. "I hope Miss Dalmasca didn't catch a cold? She was soaked last time I saw her."

"No" Squall smiled. This was the worst issue to talk about. "Ashe is perfectly fine"

"Are you a couple?" he asked looking down.

"Of course not" Squall said with a disgusted voice. "Of course not!". His eyes widened and then closed tightly. "Why did you think that?"

"Because she was very comfortable with touching you and although I am not sure if I understand it correctly or not, it may just be my imagination, I felt that you are deeply connected so I thought…" Cloud blushed without finishing his sentence.

"There is a connection but it's difficult to describe. Ashe and I are two people forced to be together till…" he tried to find a suitable word for what they had to do "Till a 'job' is finished." he said.

"I see." Cloud said and smiled widely. His eyes were bright. He looked at the man. "She is pretty though" Cloud said.

Squall's eyes narrowed. "You like her?"

What was that thing inside him. He was angry, irritated… what if he really liked _her_? And that was the reason he called him.

"Well yes…" Cloud said. Squall squeezed his hand. It hurt. "But there is someone I like more, much more than her" Squall relaxed and looked straight at the man's eyes. He leaned toward him.

"Tell me about that someone?"

"I am not sure about that. Won't it be boring for you?" Cloud asked but it was visible that he wanted to talk about that someone.

"Not at all." Squall answered. "Please", he said.

"Ok then." Cloud said and went closer. "But promise you'll tell no one about him?" he said. Squall nodded.

_It is a he! It is a he!_

"I don't know him very well yet but… he makes me lose control. He is gorgeous with blue eyes and brown hair. His eyes are what make me so attracted to him. They are so… mysterious. They challenge and yet they show he is a person that doesn't like much attention… and I see and something like pain… so I guess he must be mature." He stopped talking and a song started. "This person is alone. But he longs for love and companionship", Cloud looked at the ceiling. "I would give him that love, all my love"

Squall listened to the man but the lyrics of the song caught his attention.

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold?_

_Who knows how to love you without being told?_

_Somebody tell me, why am I on__ my own…_

_If there is a soul mate for everyone. _

"I am sure that he wants your love too. More than you want to give him your love", Squall said. The waiter arrived with their food.

Suddenly Cloud's cell phone rang. The blond closed his eyes and with a breath he looked at who was calling. Home. His heart stopped beating for a moment. He had forgotten her. Again. For more than a moment this time. Guilt was what he probable felt as he answered. He avoided the man's eyes. He had to concentrate on her.

"Cloud!" Namine nearly yelled.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Where are you? Has anything happened? Are you okay?"

"Yes", he answered. "Why?"

"I called at your office and they told me you had left more than a half an hour ago", she took a breath and he could hear her quick breathing. "I was so worried."

"I am okay. What do you want to tell me now that you are sure I am alive?" he asked.

"I've invited Yuki to eat with us. Will you be late? How long are we supposed to wait for you?" she asked.

"Um... Namine I am eating right now", he confessed. There was a silence before Namine talked again.

"Strife… would you happen to have a… date?" she asked. She was smiling now. He was sure of it.

"Um I'll tell you at home", he said as he blushed.

"You have to!" she screamed. "And make sure he or she is not staring at you 'cause you are blushing now. Is it a he or a she?"

"I am not!" he said but as he looked at himself on the knife he noticed that his cheeks were a little redder. The doorbell rang.

"That must be Yuki. Okay lover boy….enjoy your _food_ and I'll cover you up for Yuki. Unfortunately you have _so much _to do that you are deeply sorry for missing the dinner", she said and hang up the phone.

"Your sister?" Squall asked.

"Yes. I forgot to tell her I wouldn't be home in time for dinner and she got worried", he answered. The phone rang again. Home again. "What is it?" he asked as he picked it.

"Sorry but I forgot to tell you that you will tell me everything"

"About what?"

"Your love life. Hey Yuki", she said and hung up again.

"Your sister?"

"Yes, again."

"Worried again?"

"No. Just forgot to tell me something."

"You get along very well, right?"

"You could say so. We have to in a way, since we are all alone."

"I see."

* * *

Seifer was walking with Tifa silently. Tifa's eyes were still red and wet. The tears wouldn't stop. It was sad to see her like this. The Tifa that seemed so strong was actually sensitive and couldn't control the overflowing emotions. Seifer understood those emotions. Wasn't he after all affected by Lea as well. Of course the relationships were different since Seifer knew Lea while Tifa practically knew nothing of her.

"Maybe we should rest", he whispered in her ear. She took a big breath and her body tightened. It seemed she was spaced out. She looked at him with a questioning look.

"What?" she asked with a broken voice.

"I think you need to rest for a moment. What you learned is no small thing so you need to get a grip of yourself", he said and held her tighter.

"Ah…" she just said. After a moment she threw up her head and with a bored expression she added. "Do whatever you want."

"But…" Seifer started with confused eyes, "You are the mistress and I am the servant"

"Guess I don't care anymore. I should try to atone for my crimes… maybe I will avoid Hell… or at least go through less pain that it is decided for me", she said as she looked at him. Her lips made a strange grimace that twisted her features for a moment. Tifa really needed to rest.

"Guess I have no choice. We are going to eat", he said and started walking. Wasn't somewhere around there a restaurant that Lea used to like back then. Tifa, like a lifeless doll, was walking slowly. She couldn't even stand by herself. Perhaps she didn't want to. She had alreadydecided to quit living. To Seifer this was just the first shock, reaction, she would maintain her self after that. The problem was to not loose herself and do stupid things now that she was weak. Seifer wouldn't let that happen. It was his duty to be the mage's protector.

"Hey Seifer…" she said suddenly in even more broken voice.

"What?"

"Did we meet before? When my aunt was your mistress?" she asked him.

Seifer shocked by that closed and opened his eyes three times. "Why do you say that?"

"Yes or No?" she insisted and she started shaking. "YES OR NO!"

"Yes" he said finally after she calmed down. "Don't gather that much attention" he added whispering as he dragged her into an empty dark street. How many of these did this town have? He always found one to hide in… from ancient times… like it was designed for this. Places to hide… secret wars. It made sense since it was here that everything began and here that always all the wars ended.

"How come?"

"How come what?" he asked her.

"How come I met you?" she asked.

"Thanks to mistress… Lea I mean", he answered. "How did you remember me?"

"I dreamt of you… of some things that were associated with you actually. It was something that bugged me a lot and since I am going to die soon, I wanted to learn that truth at least", she said and with a sigh she stopped talking as they finally reached the restaurant. Seifer didn't hide his presence, carelessly or

Thankfully?

(Author's note : You will understand in the next chapter what I meant. I was told it was a little weird what I said here so I thought I should make a note)

* * *

Kadaj came back an hour after Lea had returned to the room and found her laying on the bed. He went closer and coughed so he could have her attention.

"Hm?"

"She is Rinoa Heartily and the mistress of the wolf of Ice aka Riku. She lives at the house of a Shuyin, I can find it if you want." he said.

"You don't have to. I know where he lives." she said with still staring at the ceiling. "I visited' him during the previous war." she added answering his unspoken question.

"I see." Kadaj said and looked at her with a strange expression. He squeezed his hands and went to the window. The view was very nice…

"Kadaj", Lea said.

"Yes?" he answered with a calm, controlled voice that hid his anger but with a crack in the end. He was furious and Lea understood that. As he suspected she was clever enough not to mention it but there was no doubt that she noticed it. She was Lea after all, a winner.

"Tomorrow at dawn we have to go to a meeting" she said. Her eyes watched him like a cat watches a rat, a big one. It didn't show she was afraid but that she acknowledged the danger.

"With whom may I ask?"

"With the first member of the council."

"You mean the council of the Symphony Of Legends?"

"Yes. He will be waiting us at a park. Be prepared to wake up early so better sleep." She got up and took off her blouse. "There is always a possibility of a fight", she said as she removed her bra. With her chest uncovered she got rid of her other clothes and then she wore her nightclothes. A simple black short with a black blouse. She never wore any other colors but black… red perhaps in some occasion and grey. It was like she had a grudge against colors. Kadaj found that a waste of beauty and youth. Lea looked good with black but she overdid it. She lay on the bed and closing her eyes, she fell asleep. Another talent of hers to just do what she wants. She wanted to sleep… she slept a dreamless night. Kadaj was sure that Lea wasn't even enjoying sleep anymore… She slept using her powers all those years. Before he had met her, Lea had gone too far for her age… and yet she had kept balance. She had sacrificed enough to get what she had. As it seemed sleep had been one of them.

He went closer her wondering the expression her face had? Would it be peaceful? He looked. No; it was just a pale face. No expressions, no feelings. He tried to enter her mind and see what her subconscious hid.

A smile appeared at his face. Even now he couldn't enter. It was natural for her not to trust. As he looked at Lea now… forced asleep, he knew. He didn't have to enter her mind to really know her. The only thing he had to do was to think from the present to the past. Now she was a powerful member of the family, wanted to become an ally of the most powerful organizations of wizards. Five years ago she was the same but not as powerful as she was now. Eight years ago she was an upcoming powerful member and acknowledged from the organizations she was now admired of and had recently won the previous war that had left memories of sorrow and terror. Eleven years ago she was training to face a future full of uncertainty.

There was the answer of what was hidden inside her. Lea had been training from a very young age… being away of her family, being raised in loneliness, never having a real contact with other beings but her teachers. One for magic and one for other subjects. He looked at her face again. She was forced to do everything, even forced to live. If only she was a little duller, she would have lived easier.

And she might have been dead now.

Yes that was true. This incredible mind was her power after all. If she wasn't a mind user, she wouldn't have those possibilities of winning. And being extremely clever was an unavoidable outcome of this. Lea originally should have been sensitive. It is a characteristic all women have after all. That was why she didn't just understand her life but also felt it.

He could imagine her younger… a depressed child, like a wild animal trapped in a cage longing for release and freedom, and yet too afraid to act… or perhaps Lea wasn't afraid but too mature to be rebellious. Or it really was part of her character to do everything from behind… to wait for the right moment… maybe this was something she gained through those years. It didn't matter… what she once was… what she could have been. The matter was that she had become the Lea Lockhart of the present and Kadaj knew that she was an enemy. He was sure that Lea could win again. Even if all the other mages were against her, she would not die. Maybe retreat and kill them one by one but for Lea, and Kadaj in a way, this wasn't a cowardice action. It was a clever method that she had used all her life and had never failed her. The mind user would be last of course. The blond girl was nearly a worthy enemy. If she only gained experience or she had the cunning Lea had. But she was too innocent for that, having felt pain but having felt love as well, while Lea had never felt other being's love with Seifer's exception. Maybe that's why she went that far to have a connection with him, she tortured him so he would think of her.

Kadaj looked at the woman one more time. Lea was afraid of dying alone? That was a good suggestion… but not very logical since she always was alone. Could it be that she longed to be part of a group and not feel separate, different? Yet she didn't try to have that and she could. Or perhaps she hadn't found yet the right people to hang out with. He and Seifer were her first likes. No, that wasn't true. Lea liked her teachers as well… they raised her… and a cousin of hers, the musician… what was her name? Oh yes! Mai. She was a loner and she enjoyed that loneliness. They got along despite what Lea said about pretending.

Kadaj wasn't sure if he liked Lea or not. He enjoyed her and felt a safety with her powers but she was too stressed about everything… too ambitious in a way… too of a winner for his liking. But he owed her a lot. She freed him, she fought for him although she would also gain something from the victory, and she made sure he enjoyed the world. She even felt a slight trust about him which was scattered when she learned he was a mind user. That's why he couldn't enter her mind now. Not that he could enter easily before only when she wasn't concentrating or sometimes when she was very tired and sleeping. He looked at the clock on the wall. How time passed! They had only two hours till they the meeting would start.

Kadaj felt that this meeting would not be a good one.

* * *

Lea walked slowly with Kadaj hidden somewhere near. If anything happened, he would attack. She walked with her long hair free and with a cold look on her face. The man was there already, waiting for her. She was wearing tight jeans and a black shirt with a leather jacket. She had two earrings at her left ear and none at the other.

"Hello", the man said as he looked at her from bottom to top and top to bottom.

"Hello Saix", she answered with an easiness that made the man for a moment angry. The first member of the council wasn't ever treated with anything but absolute respect. But Lea wouldn't act like that, not now, not ever.

"I am happy you accepted my invitation, Miss Lockhart", he said but then smiled slight and corrected himself. "Lea, I mean."

The woman didn't even have the slightest reaction at him using her first name. Those were stupid things and she wouldn't let them make her think angrily.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked directly not wanting to waste time. They were seemingly alone… there wasn't a need to wait.

"Directly at the main part, like always, it is so like you", the man said in an approving way.

"You seem not to like that though since you are not answering", she said.

"Oh yes… you asked what I want to talk to you about. Well… as you know", he started and walked closer to her "I always admired and recognized you, my dear. From the first time I met you, when I fist met your black eyes, I immediately thought that you were a born murderer. And you are", he stopped in front of her and raised his hand to touch her cool skin. His hand was equally cold. "I am a person that looks to the future Lea and I want to make a future worth living in."

_Born murderer huh? You like that Lea._

_Of course I do Kadaj._

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked although she knew the keywords about this meeting. Future… worth living in.

"How about helping me create the future I desire?" "e asked instead of answering.

'I could do that, I suppose", she said as she looked away from his eyes. "For a good reward", she added. With the corner of her eye she noticed the smirk. He was of course waiting for that. Nothing is free in this world after all.

"Do you like power Lea?" he asked

"A little", she said and smiled showing her interest.

"How about then… you help me be the one and only ruler of the Symphony of Legends…. And I help you become the ruler of Traverse town. Me in Twilight and you in Traverse. Who knows, later we might even claim other places, new lands?" he said.

Lea stood for a moment glaring at him. Was that man telling her to kill her family? The Dalmascas? Not that she cared much about the last ones but… her family?

_Lea…_

"Let me think about your offer and I will give you my answer. Tomorrow at the same time here", she said and as she turned she was gone from their sight.

She was in a dark road with Kadaj next to her.

"You didn't enter his mind", he pointed out.

True she hadn't although she should… had to. These were dangerous things, mistakes would be unforgivable. Her eyes were blank and her face had a paralyzed expression. What was she going to do? Accept and kill her relatives… or deny and loose a very good opportunity to raise her influence and power on the world, show a weakness to a person she could never trust. Not that she trusted many… some cousins and Seifer. Oh... and there was this other person…

"Will you accept?" Kadaj asked and his voice hid disgust. If she accepted she would officially be the monster.

"Let's go to the hotel… I need to sleep", she said faintly and started walking slowly. Kadaj followed her silently.

They finally were at the hotel. Lea didn't even bother to change her clothes. She just fell on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Kadaj sat in an armchair and closed his eyes. So many things happened in less than an hour and a half. Lea closed her eyes as well and something like a small tear slipped. She quickly wept that tear. She looked at Kadaj. Had he seen her?

No. He hadn't. She relaxed and threw her head back. There were many things to think and so much to loose. Lea smiled at the idea of power, the power he offered. The power she could steal from him eventually. Still… why? Why didn't she want to accept? It wasn't that she was fond of her family or something. It wasn't that she would feel guilty…that made her shake from a laughter. This word did not exist in her vocabulary. It was all or nothing and sacrifices had to be made.

After all… she also lost from her actions. But that was the price she had to pay to become strong…. Strong to live. And she paid it.

_Proper compensation must be made for offered goods or services. One must not offer too much for the payment. One must not charge too much for the product. Reasonable, equitable and fair. If it isn't someone gets hurt._

That was how she chose to gain power… and till now this way had never disappointed her. Her mind travelled to Saix. He was too greedy and she didn't want to be involved in his greediness. Suddenly her cell phone rang. Kadaj opened his eyes and Lea with her left hand took the phone. She looked at the screen. Unknown number. This made her suspicious. It was also early, very early. She accepted the call. Kadaj looked right into her eyes and she looked right into his.

"Hello?" she asked. Her voice cold but to those who knew her, a little uncertain.

"Hello, my mistress", a man said. Lea's eyebrows moved and her eyes closed and opened. _My mistress…_

"You?" she asked nearly happy to hear that certain voice.

"Are you all right, my mistress?" the man asked. "You sound… uncertain about something. Is there anything that bothers you?"

"Why do you call me?"

"I missed you", he answered. Lea held her breath. This was always how he started saying trouble was near. "And I have some information that might interest you."

"Where are you? What information?" she asked.

"My, my, you never change. One question at a time, my mistress."

"Answer!" she ordered.

"I am as I have promised you, always near you. About this offer you received", the man said. "You need by the way to eat more. When you changed I could see your bones."

Lea didn't comment on the last one. "What about it?"

"Don't accept my mistress… ask not to rule Traverse but half of the organization and thus half of Twilight." he said. "Say that Traverse is already yours despite the fact that people don't know about it. You bring the money and the power in the family mostly, my mistress, so you rule."

"…."

"We might be able to see each other again… _Lea_", he whispered and hang up the phone. She closed the phone after a while and started trembling. She squeezed her fists. The cell broke. Into her eyes Kadaj saw an anger that could kill. She turned at him and he was paralyzed from that anger, from the fear he felt. She was biting her lips but she had actually cut them and the blood was running down her face till it fell on the white sheets. Her black eyes were the representatives of hell.

Who was the man that had called? Who was the man that made Lea loose control?

Kadaj wanted these answers. He looked at the sky once again. Time was running out… and Lea was going to get berserk and put an end to this war. He looked at her again. A battle was taking place inside her head.

Her self control Vs. Her instincts.

Kadaj for the first time in his 'life' saw the murderous look that a born killer had. It was scary. Lea had to be careful… she was everyday closer to thirty and being a mind user meant an early death. If she overdid it, she reduced her life span.

Lea's self control eventually won but now that the instincts had come so close to taking control it would be easy to wake them up. Her mind travelled back. Back to the days before the war happened. When she was living and training in the fores

* * *

Ok that's it. I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think... at least some of the people that read this... once in a while tell me your thoughts.

Listen everyone if no one tells me what she/he thinks I am not going to update. I am not like others that ask for 100 reviews... that is something insane... The story is not that popular. 5 reviews though is not illogical, right?

Have a good day!

Edelin


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:** I will continue the story since there are really people out there that like it. I would like to thank XSilverLiningsX and Leirative who beta -ed the chapter. Hope everyone will enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything. If I did, I honestly don't think I'd write about it here. It would be the original story :D

* * *

Title: It Seems That Destiny Cannot Prepare Us For What Is Ahead

_Flashback _

_It was a sunny day and a girl around eleven was walking in the forest. She wore just a black skirt and the top of __a small red blouse on. There was a necklace on her neck. It was a sword that on its base had an angel. The girl had long black hair and pale skin. She ran down slipping through the trees and other plants. She jumped from a rock and landed easily on the ground. There was a river in front. She smiled and went there. She carried a bag with her which was empty. She went into the river but didn't even flinch despite how cold the water was. She raised her left hand and concentrated at the water. Amazingly fast her hand caught a fish which she squeezed so much that died after a moment. She smiled. What a cruel, wonderful, gorgeous smile! She opened her bag and threw the fish in. She took position again and after a moment an other fish was captured. She didn't hesitate at all as the poor animal was shaking like crazy to break free… but the girl was merciless. She didn't even seem to care about what she was doing but nonetheless she killed it fast like she knew how awful dying was… the idea of going to die._

_She threw__ that one in her bag too and went out of the river. She took a big breath and run back to wherever she was supposed to be going, bringing food with her. As she run through the trees, a sound was heard. She recognized it immediately._

_A fire!_

_The girl looked in front, she would get scold if she was late and then at the direction where the fire was. She shook her head and searched for the fire. After all that could be dangerous. She ran silently and without being noticed through the trees… it was like she was flying… there was no way you could know she had stepped on the ground. Such speed! Speed not normal for a human. The girl like a hunter hid behind a tree as she watched a boy with long black hair sitting. She felt a strong aura from his body. An aura that in a way matched hers. She went silently closer… No. This was not a mind user… but there was something they had in common. The girl approached the boy more, till they were inches apart. She leaned at him and whispered in his ear. _

"_This land is not yours." she said. He looked at her with his green yellow eyes that reminded of a snake. Her black eyes locked his and his hers. "Right?" she finished with low breath._

"_Right." he answered and grabbed her from the waist. She landed on the floor with him holding her hands tightly so she couldn't move. He smiled as he had her captured under him. She smiled and raised her eyebrows. _

"_Don't be so sure that you have captured me." she said out loud. His eyes closed suspiciously as he realized that she had said exactly what he had thought. His hands let hers and she sat up. His body was controlled by some mysterious force that he suspected was coming from her. "What's your name?"_

"_Reito." he answered. "Yours?"_

_The girl seemed to hesitate in the beginning whether to trust him or not but after a moment something she thought relieved her and she relaxed. "Lea."_

"_Don't you have a surname?"__ he asked._

"_You didn't tell me yours." she answered back. _

"_You didn't ask."_

"_I ask now." she said and threw her hair back. The boy, now that she looked at it, seemed to be around sixteen and was more a man than a boy. _

"_Ichihara. Reito Ichihara."_

"_Lockhart. Lea Lockhart." Reito's eyes opened widely. _

"_You are a Lockhart?" he asked surprised. Then before she could answer he thought. "No doubt she is so strong"_

'_You know of my family?"__ she asked curious after hearing his thought._

"_Come on! I may not be of a lineage or something but there is no mage that does not know Lockharts and Dalmascas and no human that does not have heard the two richest families Lockharts and Dalmascas." he said "And I am both."_

"_You are? Because I have my doubts about the second part." she said and smiled._

'_Eh…? Hey you!"__ he said and tried to get up but he was still unable. "Will you stop that?"_

_She seemed to think about it for a moment. "Nope." she answered. _

"_Why? You are so cruel Lea!"__ Reito said and closed his eyes. It seemed he was able to move this part of his body. _

"_I am, aren't I?"__ she said proudly._

"_It's not a good thing!"__ he said. He gave her a look from top to bottom. "How old are you?"_

"_I'll turn twelve in six months." she said. "You?"_

"_A month ago I turned sixteen." he answered. _

"_Why are you here?"__ she asked. _

"_Because I am hiding." h__e answered. He took a breath and looked at Lea again… he half smiled as he gazed at her small breasts… Lea that noticed him looking at her, blushed for a moment but then maintained her self control. _

"_They are still growing." She said and leaned at him. "Why are you hiding?"__ she asked. Her face was close to his,close enough for him to kiss her… but of course he didn't, she was too young then… not desirable. But she was a promising woman, a would-be-Beauty. _

"_Because" __he started and looked into her eyes. "I did something bad."_

"_Who did you kill?"__ she asked. He didn't take his eyes away from hers. _

"_A man… I didn't want to though. I wanted the money but as I pushed him he fell on a piece of wood and… you get the rest"_

"_I don't." she answered, the confusion clear in her tone. He looked at her. _

"_Please don't do that now."_

"_No. I honestly don't know."__ She said._

"_Don't you watch TV?"__ he asked._

"_I don't. I hardly remember what a TV is." she admitted. _

"_Hold on a moment!"__ he said and tried to move but was still unable. He closed his eyes to control the irritation of being captured. "Where do you live"'_

"_In the mountains with two teachers of mine. I am training." she said. _

"_Just them? You mean I am the first person you are talking with/to except them since…the day you came here?" he asked._

"_Yes! I live here since I was five years old. I haven't seen my parents since then." she said._

"_That must be hard on you." he said. _

"_Not really. I have become strong thanks to that and my training will end in a few years. When I reach sixteen I will return to Traverse.". There was a silence between them and Reito suddenly was able to move on his own will. _

"_Thanks!"__ he said and got up. _

"_Since you are on the run, __you should also stay here… in the mountains I mean… avoid human contact as much as possible." she said and got up. _

"_That's not possible. How am I supposed to live? I need to eat and drink. To change clothes… during the winter things will be difficult."_

"_I'll take care of you." she offered and slightly smiled at how close she noticed he was._

"_What?"__ he asked._

"_I'll take care of you." she repeated hiding her nervousness. She didn't understand where this anxiety was coming from. It felt like she wanted him to say yes, no matter what, like she wanted him to depend on her and her to take care of him._

"_Are you that desperate for human contact?" he asked._

"_I don't know. I just like you." she said._

"_You want us to be friends then?" he asked and offered his hand to her. She took it and nodded. _

"_Why not? I never had a friend."_

_End Flashback_

Lea woke up around ten o'clock. Kadaj was still sitting in the chair he was sitting before she slept. She had eventually fallen asleep after the exhaustion the call caused her. She touched her wounded lip. She took a mirror she had on the table next to the bed and she saw that there was a big, deep cut. She should probably either go to a hospital or find a healer to do the cleaning as she didn't want to have it polluted or something. And it spoiled her image as well.

She got up and went to the window. She looked at the road. Somewhere there… one of these people was Reito.

_Where the hell are you? Reito! _

If he was within twelve kilometers… he would have heard her words. She hated that habit of his to make her weak.

* * *

Squall was enjoying his fish when suddenly a familiar force approached. His blood froze. He looked around.

_Seifer!_

He immediately hid his presence and looked at Cloud. They had to get away. He couldn't be found with him. He looked at the window. He was coming closer and he probably had his mistress as well. Cloud noticed his change of mood but did nothing but give him a worried, confused look.

They had to go! Now! Quickly! They probably had to run! Hide!

"Cloud." he spoke as calmly as he could.

"Yes?"

"Go and pay! I have to leave! WE have to leave!" he said half ordering, half begging.

"Why" Cloud asked confused and a little sad perhaps.

"Just do it!" Squall insisted and this time he was not accepting objections. Cloud gave him a last look and got to pay while Squall wore his jacket and checked the distance. They were certainly closer. Why did he come here? He knew that this was the place Seifer came during the last war. Then he remembered.

_This is__ also the place Cloud brought me. AW! Irritating._

Cloud returned and wore his coat. Squall grabbed him from the elbow and pulled him out of the restaurant. Thanks to his very good eyesight he could see Seifer at the street walking with a woman that was exactly like Lea Lockhart outside. For a moment, he stood amazed at that. Why was he with her? And he was holding her? Hugging her? Then as they approached where they were, he realized it was an other Lockhart. He still didn't like him hugging her that much.

That was weird, he never felt like that before.

"Leon." Cloud said in a low voice. Squall was back to reality. Oh shit! He had wasted so much precious time. He grabbed Cloud again and they went to the road. Seifer was very devoted to helping his mistress.

"Run at the other side of the road" he said and ran immediately. Cloud followed and caught up with him. They continued to run till they were in an other street being able to hide behind a building. Squall looked at Cloud as he breathed harshly and without caring about the crowd… about the consequences he grabbed the man and kissed him. This was to make up for destroying their dinner. According to his reaction he would be certain if he was or not the person Cloud was interested in. Cloud for a moment froze and could do nothing. Then after a moment something woke up in him and as Squall was ready to break the kiss, he grabbed him from the collar and pulled him closer kissing back with such enthusiasm and willingness that made Squall go crazy. This wasn't enough! He needed more, more of the man! So much more!

Cloud that was in a paralyzed state from the kiss could do nothing but kiss so he didn't even understand that Squall had dragged him in a smaller street. He opened his eyes and stopped the kiss. Squall opened his eyes and looked at Cloud. Cloud went a step back caressing his lips.

"What was that?" Cloud asked.

"I kissed you." Squall said. He was sure that the other man had enjoyed it, he could tell from the way he kissed back.

"Why did we leave like that? Like we were being chased?" Cloud asked.

Squall flinched. He knew this was coming but why now? Why not any other time? He took a breath and looked at the man in front of him. He held his shoulders and looked away. "I have some secrets that I can't reveal to you." he let out.

"I know. You are not like me. You are from an other world that I cannot be part of, right?" Cloud said. Squall stopped breathing for a second. "You know Leon, I believe in magic and the supernatural stuff. You don't have to tell me anything if you can't but…well I am waiting, if you ever want to tell me" he finished and placed his hand on Squall's chick.

Squall looked at the man and leaned to kiss him again. This time it was a gentle kiss. And yet Squall had to admit what drove him crazy about the man was a hunger; it wasn't really something deeper but it was powerful. It was what mortals call it; lust. But it was like; if he didn't follow his instincts, he was going to always regret it.

Cloud looked up at him after the kiss ended. "I should go home. Namine will be waiting for me." he said and was ready to walk away when Squall grabbed him and kissed him again passionately this time. "Meet me at the place we first met at midnight.". He kissed again. "I'll be waiting.". A small kiss on the lips. He started running away. Cloud stood there without knowing what was going on. The blond man smiled. He was going to meet him tonight.

* * *

"I'm going out." Lea said and Kadaj got up. "You don't have to come." she added. He made a suspicious look that was completely covered after a second. She didn't see it but she felt it. The air between them was rather uncomfortable. She took a breath and grabbed her leather jacket from the floor. "Do you want me to help you disguise yourself in case you want to go out?" she asked as she was about to close the door.

"No… Be careful." he answered.

She turned her head and glanced at him. Her black eyes were just a shadow of what they were some hours ago. She said nothing. She turned her head and shut the door behind her. She run down the stairs not having the patience to wait for the elevator and then quickly went out to the streets as she looked up to the room, thanks to her excellent eyesight, she was able to spot him looking. She was so angry without knowing why. Something had been broken… inside her? Inside him? Between them? She wasn't sure. Maybe because of Reito's sudden appearance she was like that. That man had that talent to completely, utterly destroy her self control using merely just one word. She hated it!

She walked quickly into the crowd. How long had it been since she was really alone? More than a year. Having Kadaj with her was way more troublesome than it was supposed to be. She took a big breath and tried to clear her head. It was an opportunity to enjoy her time, shouldn't waste it on Kadaj and Reito.

_Reito…_

Her eyes calmed and softened. She looked around. He was somewhere there. Somewhere next to her completely hidden from her despite how much she wanted him to be found. He was the only person that could do that. Attract her and at the same time keep her away. She looked desperately around… she watched all the faces that held no meaning to her hoping that behind their eyes Reito was. Disguised so she wouldn't notice…

_Where the __hells are you? _

Suddenly as she raised her hand and touched her hurt lip a pain that she desperately wanted to forget returned. That unbelievable pain that was untamable. She couldn't comprehend with what was going on around. She touched her head and held from the closest wall. She shouldn't make a fuss of what she was feeling. She had to fight it.

_Ok Lea. Concentrate… concentrate. You can do it. _

The pain became worse… It was so much more awful than what it was the previous times. It was like someone was cracking piece by piece her brain. A sound of pain escaped her lips but thanks to the noisy people around her that didn't even look at her, she wasn't noticed. Did they really not see she was in pain? She always knew just by looking, even though she never did something, she knew. She noticed. The pain became even worse. How could a pain like that exist! So terrible.

She used all the powers left inside her body and turned to the first small empty road she found. Thank god it was something easy to find in this place. She slowly sat down as she was still holding her head… that pain… Aw! She could no longer see… she faintly heard. She just felt the pain.

And yet… she didn't scream. She was strong enough for that, but she felt it coming, the exhaustion. She shouldn't faint. No! No, she mustn't!

Suddenly someone hugged her from the waist. The smell… she recognized it immediately as that someone took her into his hug.

"You can do it Lea! Just give it all you got! I'll take care of the rest." he promised. That voice was calm yet so strong, sleazy and in a way sinister but full of affection at the same time. He hugged her tightly. She found somewhere inside her the will… the power… to fight back. That monstrous power. Her weapon that became her enemy. He hugged her even tighter. She opened her shut eyes and she saw his black hair and she relaxed. It was over… for now. "That's my girl." he approved of her. Her quick breathing steadily slowed… she closed again her eyes and hugged him back.

"Thanks." she whispered. "Reito".

"I told you. I am always near you, silently protecting you." he reminded her. She smiled and nodded. "Want to go for a walk or stay here?" he asked her. She moved away from him and looked around. What a dirty street she'd found.

"A walk." she answered him and got up along with him. She looked at him and noticed that he still had his long hair and still wore the black leather jacket she had bought him five years ago. He had a small earring at his left ear and wore a black jean two sizes bigger than he needed. "You look good." she complimented him. He looked at her with his half smile. His eyes were as sleazy as ever. They really did resemble a snake's eyes.

"Well you too. If you don't count the fact that you have this wound at your lips." he said. Lea quickly touched her lips.

"I forgot about that." she admitted.

"Come here" he instructed. She went and he touched her lips with the fingers of his left hand that glowed slightly.

"Thanks." she said. "You have become an even better healer." she complimented him.

"I could heal that kind of stuff before I met you." he pointed out.

"I know but I felt the difference in your aura." she explained.

"Really? Your aura too has changed, more chilling… but I like it. It makes you sexier… it is fitted for you to be the bad girl." he teased her.

"I always was, wasn't I?" she said.

"No. You slowly became after Seifer." he said. "Till then you were a girl that was lost"

* * *

Seifer holding Tifa from the waist walked towards the restaurant. Tifa was able now to walk but nevertheless he continued to help her. It was too early after all and she was still in a shocked condition of what happened the previous moments, the realizations changed all of her plans. Her future. That crushed her hopes of surviving. Seifer feared that as well. This mind user's aura reminded him Lea in many ways. Suddenly there was a faint hint of a warrior near which made him look around. It would really be a bad time! He looked at Tifa and decided that the best thing to do was go as fast as possible into the restaurant. If he still felt the presence of a warrior, he would tell her. Now, it would be completely disastrous. He walked a little faster, an action noticed by Tifa.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

"No. Don't worry mistress. I just want you to regain your self-control quickly and be in a safe place. With you in a situation like this if we are attacked _here, _it will be on our disadvantage." he explained his reasons. The place was bad without many people around and a mind user lived in this part of the city. At the beginning of their day they were under the spell of the Holly user. It was a bad day. Tifa needed to eat and drink something and then quickly go back to the house and sleep. When she would wake up, she'd be perfectly capable of deciding what to do.

He still felt slightly a warrior's aura and it was the aura of someone he knew very well. Squall! He looked again around but couldn't see him. Now he was going away… which was a good and a bad thing simultaneously since he wouldn't be able to see him but he wouldn't have to fight him too. They eventually arrived at the restaurant and Tifa let go of him and walked in. She smiled as politely as she could and sat at the table that was free. Seifer sat next to her. He took the menu the waiter offered them and handed it to Tifa. "Here… choose something to eat. This was the previous decade one of the best restaurants"

"You came here with _her_?" she asked.

"Yes… I hope you are not mad that you are here." Seifer told her slightly anxious.

"No… not really. It is not as if she owns the place or something. I slept at her room after all why would a restaurant she liked bother me?" she answered and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Yeah." He agreed and looked at the menu. He quickly looked at her for a moment and noticed that her eyes had started to shine again and her determination was coming back, slowly but steadily. Things were good… she would be able to stand up and fight. 'Mistress… may I tell you something I learned through my…' he shrugged to find a suitable word. Life was sure not the one… existence was still not enough. But to Seifer there was no word to describe who he was, what he was. He once was a human and a mage… he once died… he once was born but now… he was just being. "Existence?" he decided.

"Go on" she said after she called the waiter and told him what they would take.

"I have realized the impact of attitude on human's lives.** Attitude**, to me, is more important than facts. Past. Education. Money. Circumstances. Failure. Success. What people think about one another or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. Attitude has the power to break everything… a family… a home… a relationship… a church… a nation… a human being… everything. You, humans, cannot change your past... you cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. You cannot change the inevitable. Neither do we, the immortal beings, the undead. The only thing we do, humans and undead, is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."

"How can you say that when you are trapped in this repeating war?" she asked him confused.

"I have done my mistakes, mistress Lockhart. I could have chosen a different path… I could have chosen to die. But I was a coward and held onto life. Now, I have lost both life and death." he said.

"So basically you are saying that I choose how to live?"

"I am telling you that when your attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for you." he said. "Lea proved that to me. She was a sixteen year old girl that was from a very young age shut away from the human world but she played well on the one string life gave her." "It is not the same. My aunt is a prodigy." Tifa said looking away. "No! No." Seifer protested. "She is a hard worker… maybe talented but she beat herself to death to reach the status she has now. You didn't go as far as she went but you also made a try… don't let it go to waste." he advised her. She looked at him but at that moment the waiter came with their foods."Thank you" Seifer said to the young boy as Tifa made a short nod at the waiter and smiled.

"I guess what you said is based on truth" she said. "I'll give you that"

"I am honoured" the blond warrior answered and they started eating.

* * *

Cloud opened the door with his key and entered. Yuki was still there. His black coat and leather shoes were in the entrance. The blond man walked inside the house and saw Namine and Yuki sitting in the kitchen with the door half open and Roxas sitting on the floor hiding behind the closed door. Namine stood up immediately when he entered the house. Her powers had really grown. She felt the world in such a different way now. She gave her brother a warm smile as Yuki got up to greet him.

"Hey Cloud!" he said and walked out of the door.

"Hey Yuki!" Cloud answered, coping his enthusiasm. They hugged each other slightly.

"How are you doing? Came to say hello? Or enjoy my sister's cooking abilities?" Namine made a grimace. She wasn't bad but the way Cloud meant it, was not a good one. He always teased her about that.

"I am here to say goodbye actually. I am leaving for the University in two hours." He looked at Namine, placed his hand on his heart and said. "And I really did enjoy your sister's cooking abilities." Namine flashed him a smiled which he received happily by smiling back.

"Ah so soon?"

"Yes… Unfortunately… the stupid professors of his changed the exam program and he has to go." Namine said and signed. "And I just started enjoying myself."

"You have me to enjoy yourself." Cloud pointed out.

"How could anyone enjoy himself with you playing the overprotective brother. You'll go hysteric if I leave the house with a mini skirt." she half pointed out, half accused him.

"Of course I will. There are many freaks out there that will want to take advantage of the ones wearing the mini skirt." he said. As an officer he knew of that stuff.

"See? You are no fun." she looked at Yuki and hugged him from the waist. "And I just started enjoying myself." she repeated in a funny way which made the two men laugh. Yuki hugged her back and then lifted her to his arms.

"If the overprotective brother trusts me enough, you can come pay a visit when the exam period is over. Maybe even consider applying to the University for the art courses." he said.

"Overprotective brother?" she asked.

"I'll think about it." Cloud said and went into the kitchen.

"At least he didn't say no" Yuki whispered in her ear, still holding her and she smiled in response to his comment. "Well I'll get going now. I was waiting for you to say goodbye. Twenty minutes later you wouldn't have found me here" he said and let Namine fall on the floor. Roxas instinctively run and held her. They were awkwardly close which made her eye him seriously and he let go of her.

"Thank you" she said. She walked Yuki to the door with Cloud following. After he finally departed, Namine grabbed her brother and pulled him inside his room. "Don't come in Roxas!" she ordered. She threw him on the bed and lay next to him. "I am listening."

"What?"

"About the date. I am listening."

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"The usual for now and we'll see how it goes after that." she said.

Cloud signed and blushed for a moment that made Namine smile. Her brother really liked the one he was with. "Well… he is a very beautiful person" he started. It was a he after all. "He has brown hair and blue eyes… very charming. I don't know him very well but I believe he is a very sad person that has withstood a lot of pain and hardships throughout his life. His name is Leon by the way. It suits him a lot since he seems to be like a big cat." he finished.

"Leon… lion. He he. Funny" she said. "When did you meet him?"

"When you fainted. He was the one that caught you or something." Cloud told her and Namine's face lost its colour.

"I see." she said.

"But there is something that is bothering me a little with him. But I am not sure if I care or not. I like him that much." he said

"What?" she asked.

"His eyes… reminded me of Roxas for a moment." he admitted. His face was troubled for a moment. Namine knew that if this could mean anything harmful to her, he would let go of whatever it was, no matter how painful it would be. She could not allow that since he had done so much for her and deserved happiness.

"It must be because they are blue like his and I was there." she said. "Roxas is connected with me so that must be the reason." she added quickly.

"Yeah…" he said. He looked at her and smiled. "That must be it."

* * *

Rinoa at Shuyin's house stood amazed at what she had just found. It couldn't be. The poem about the eleventh warrior was giving the password to the gate where he was sealed. And the paintings… if you put them in a chronological order the one next to the other, starting from his last, were showing the way to the gate. And it was here. Twilight was the place the warriors received their powers and it was here where their bodies were crystallized, deep down under the city. Rinoa stood up and looked at Riku who was sitting next to her. His face was blank.

She looked at the pages again… They had to be very careful. If the place and the knowledge of creating warriors were misused then a terrible thing would happen. That was why the Dalmasca and Lockhart that discovered the spell, in the end died without telling anyone. But why did the families now hate one another? And why this war was happening? So many question were born just from one truth.

The answers were waiting… in the world under the ground.

The answers existed in the mind of Lea and Kadaj.

The memories started coming out again… from Riku's sub consciousness of when he was a human and why he was trapped in this endless hell.

The symphony of Legends though was founded when the first war took place… so the secret must have slipped from the dead or… somehow someone had done something that allowed him access to that. Rinoa looked at the house. Shuyin was also a servant of the organisation… Lulu was a head there. They were hiding things from her and as she suspected, they were waiting for her to come. That secret must not be shared with outsiders of the war. Those mages were trying to break the circle. They would not be trusted.

"Riku." she said. The man looked at her. "We are leaving."

* * *

Her brother had left already for his date. From the moment Namine heard about the man that she had met when she fainted something was bugging her. She had felt a mistress and a warrior when she fainted. And her brother said that the man reminded him of Roxas for a moment. She couldn't relax.

"Roxas!" she called and The warrior appeared at the door. "Tell me… as a mind user am I able to see the future or something?"

"You cannot predict the future but you can see the present in a way. And the past. That is difficult though and achieved only by an experienced mind user. Lea Lockhart" the boy shuddered at the name "the previous war's winner and the first mind user of a magical family, achieved it a little before she beat the last mage."

"She must be a great mage" Namine said.

"She is a great mage and a terrifying person" Roxas confirmed her.

Namine closed her eyes. She had understood that. It was obvious from the way Roxas acted when he mentioned her name. Maybe that was why he didn't want her to start attacking, so she wouldn't become a new Lea or something similar.

* * *

Namine still felt that feeling of danger inside her. She told herself over and over again that it wasn't something important… a silly thought but it was still there. In the center of her thoughts. She got up from her bed and was ready to go to her brother's room. As she touched the door, chilling things run through her body. Like it was the start of something. She pushed the door and her right leg went into the room. Suddenly her breathing stopped. Everything went black and she heard faintly her brother's voice talking to someone. She looked around and saw him walking with a handsome man next to him. The man… he felt like the warrior she had felt before she fainted. She went closer to them… she tried to touch her brother, make her presence felt but she couldn't. Her hand run through them like they weren't real or like she wasn't. She looked again around. This wasn't real. She closed her eyes.

She had to go back.

"Namine!" someone called. She looked around. This voice… who was it? "Namine!" it was a woman.

"Who is it?" she asked. She made circled over herself. "Where am I?"

"Go back! He is waiting for you!" the voice said and a light appeared. As she looked at the source she saw a brown haired woman wearing a white dress from afar looking and smiling at her.

"You must hurry!" she warned and Namine then found herself in Roxas's arms.

"Namine…. Namine…." he called to her.

"What happened?" she asked him.

"You fell on the floor. You didn't faint but you had a lost look on your face and for a moment your aura disappeared. Do you want water or something?" he asked.

She looked at him dumpily. Then at the bed. Then she came to her senses. She tried to get up and with a little effort and Roxas's help she managed it.

"We don't have time. Cloud is in danger." she said.

"What?" he asked.

"He is with a warrior right now. The one that was responsible for my fainting." she explained.

"How do you know?"

"I saw them… It was what you said…. I saw the present. We must hurry!" she said and ran at her room. She grabbed a jacket and wore the first shoes she found. Roxas was already at the door.

* * *

Ok that's it. I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think... at least some of the people that read this... once in a while tell me your thoughts.

Listen everyone if no one tells me what she/he thinks I am not going to update. I am not like others that ask for 100 reviews... that is something insane... The story is not that popular. 5 reviews though is not illogical, right? The moment I have 5... no um 7 reviews I will update.

Also if you liked the story, could you please go to my profile for a moment.

Have a good day!

Edelin


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note:** I'd like to thank XSilverLiningsX and Leirative who beta -ed the chapter. Hope everyone will enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything. If I did, I honestly don't think I'd write about it here. It would be the original story :D

* * *

Title: Behind The Fake Mirrors (Lies The Truth)

Namine rushed out of the house with only one thought in her mind.

_My brother!_

She ran and wanted to scream his name but she just couldn't do it. She was too afraid to scream. And yet she had to find him… now! Every minute she wasted was like a minute closer to his dearth. They could kill him and it would be her fault. Her existence's fault. That thought made her even more hysteric. She ran without knowing where she was going. Maybe she was even doing circles… but she couldn't stop to think. There was no time to think. She felt tears in her eyes and she let them run down her face. Hot tears that as they run down became cold. Someone grabbed her from behind. She turned to see Roxas there standing with his beautiful blue eyes starring at her.

"What are achieving by running around like that" he asked in a cold voice and she didn't speak. "What are you doing to save your brother? Let me tell you what." he looked at her with anger. "You are crying like a little girl and running like an idiot. Like a coward that doesn't want to face the truth but cannot even look away because the consequences are too many." He tightened his hold oh her shoulder. She looked at him scared. This was the truth.

_Little Girl…__Coward…idiot …doesn't want to face the truth but can't deny it either. I am doing the worst… I am standing in the middle without taking action. _

She took a big breath and touched his hand. "Tell me… how can I find him? How can I search?" she asked.

"What do you remember from your 'vision'?" he asked her.

"Not much but they were somewhere near water. I heard it running wild." she said.

"Do you remember the warrior's aura?" he asked.

"Not sure… but I can surely recognize it if I feel It." she said. She took a big breath and closed her eyes. The aura… it was somewhere in the town.

"You have the advantage of being a mind user. You can even crush the spells that cover aura's but you are still young…." he said.

_With a lot of talent though. I bet even Lockhart had to train for some years before see__ was able to awake the inside eye. _

Roxas looked at his young mistress who was now molding aura around her.

_Such precise control!_

She was ready to send it in the town searching for the person she wanted. Roxas though felt something different. He focused on what she was dying to find. And it wasn't the warrior. It was her brother. She would try to locate her brother that she knew for sure how he felt.

_So she has understood that he also holds som__e magical abilities_

Roxas was surprised. And Namine was determined to not loose the last member of her family. It was like a strong wave hit all those in town that could feel magic.

She opened her eyes and they shone with a new kind of power inside them. She started running again until a voice stopped her. It wasn't though only the voice but the feeling of the voice. She looked behind and saw Olette Everman standing with a red haired man and creepy green eyes. It couldn't be.

"A mage?" she asked with trembling voice.

* * *

Olette was returning from the restaurant she ate with Axel and her boys. She found their worries quite cute. She really did love them. Axel beside her made fun of her. She was emotional… yes she knew that. They made sure they were safe at their homes and after that, they started walking to their home. Olette had actually started to enjoy being a mage and having Axel next to her. The way he looked for danger to protect her even though it was out of duty, made here feel safe. Of course it was a fake safety but nevertheless a feeling welcome to her. She spoke once with her mother who didn't even recognize her from the phone. Even if she died, they'd probably not even care. They'd be the last to know. She looked at Axel and smiled sadly. She wasn't sure if she would survive. Probably not but sometimes when she though about it… it didn't really matter… life… death… she just had to enjoy the present and if possible survive, if not, well then, she'd just die. Death wasn't to her opinion such a bad thing. Living in fear was worse. Suddenly something hit her, something that she hadn't felt before. She grabbed her neck as she was for a minute unable to breath. Axel grabbed her so she wouldn't get hurt from falling. She opened her mouth trying to say something but found out that she couldn't. Axel caressed her on the back.

"A mage" he simply said. Olette closed her eyes and opened them. She had prepared herself mentally for that. They would start coming eventually. This is a war after all. She got up and looked at Axel.

"She is close right?"

"Yes… I am glad you noticed. You have improved a lot" he said. She smiled in gratitude and tried to locate the mage as she started walking with Axel following. Suddenly they heard footsteps. Someone was running. No… it was more than one. Axel grabbed Olette and they hid behind a bin can. She quickly covered her presence as effectively as she could. But what surprised her was the person who was running. It was a blond girl that she knew very well of. She got up and Axel pulled her down.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. She didn't respond just covered his mouth with her hand. She got up again.

"Stay here" she ordered. She went a few steps ahead. "Namine?" she asked clearly and loudly. Namine stopped running. Axel suddenly felt that this girl was a mage and her warrior was near. He quickly run next to Olette and unshielded his weapons. The blond girl muttered something as she looked astonished at them. A boy with darker blond hair appeared next to her and unshielded his two swords.

"Olette… Everman Olette?" she asked like she could have done a mistake.

"The one and only" the girl said and started approaching her. Roxas stood in a stance ready to attack. Namine noticing this yelled "No". Olette looked at Axel next to her.

"Stay back. I will be in your rang if something happens" she whispered to him.

"Olette… I don't want to fight you. Not now at least" she said. "My brother is in danger" she admitted.

"What?" the other girl asked suddenly concerned, seeing the other girl's face. The worry… the pain… the anger… the sadness… the despair…. They were all there.

"My brother, my only relative, is with a warrior right now. Please… I need to save him. Please…" she begged and tears run on her face. Olette's natural concern for others kicked in and turned to look at Axel.

"Don't worry Strife. We will find your brother." she said.

"What?" Namine, Roxas and Axel asked at the same time.

"We will help you guys. I am Olette Everman and this is Axel, the Flame Of Hell." she said.

"You'd do that?" Namine asked. The brown haired nodded.

"But only under one condition" she said and looked at the blond girl.

"What?" Roxas asked suspiciously fearing this may lead to a trap.

"We will not fight each till we are the only one's left. I mean if we survive so far" she offered as a response.

"Accepted"

"Cool. Now let's go!" Olette said and ran next to her. Axel with Roxas running behind the two girls followed. Roxas looked at Axel and Axel at Roxas. They smiled to each other enjoying the thought of fighting side by side instead of against each other.

"Do you know where they are?" Axel asked Namine.

"No but I am following my brother's presence" she said.

"A family of mages right?" Axel said.

"I never thought that about you." Olette admitted.

"No, they are not. They just happen to be two siblings that both hold magical abilities. The difference between them though is huge." Roxas explained.

"Say Namine… what is your power?" Olette asked.

"Mistress!" Axel told strictly.

"What?" she asked.

"You shouldn't ask about stuff like that and neither talk about these stuff concerning you" he said.

"It's okay." Namine reassured. "We will learn eventually. After all" she gave him a glance "you'd tell her everything concerning Roxas and the type of mistresses he has and Roxas will tell me about you" she said. "My power is the Mind and my warrior is Roxas, The Lost Soul Of Abyss." She said. Axel's face lost his color.

_A mind user…with Roxas…that's very bad._

He looked at Olette concerned and after that at Namine. Maybe in the end they would have to betray her or something. There was no way for Olette to win against a mind user with Roxas if she played fair.

* * *

Squall was waiting at the place where he was supposed to meet Cloud. He had a nervous look on his face. Cloud wasn't though the mere reason for his nervousness. He put his hands in his pockets and started walking up and down the road. He had come twenty minutes earlier than he was supposed to because Ashe insisted to.

_Flashback_

"_Squall"__ Ashe said outside of the bathroom where Squall was changing in. "I'll come in, if in five minutes you are not ready' she threatened and at the same moment Squall wearing a black shirt and a jean came out. She smiled and with her hand told him to turn over. Her smile became even wider. "You look very good" she admitted. "You are very handsome"_

"_Thank you"__ Squall said. He wasn't used to Ashe complementing him so it took him by surprise although he knew that he was good looking. "What time is it, mistress?"_

"_22 : 45. We still have some time. I want us to be there a quarter earlier" she said._

_Squall raised an eyebrow. "We?" he asked._

"_Me and you" she clarified__._

"_You are coming too?" he asked and a slight anger was visible in his tone as well as the worry._

"_Of course. I can't have you wasting time on a mere mortal, if he is of no use. And I can't trust your judgment also so you leave me no choice. I will come too tonight and observe you. If he is useful, we will use him. If he is not, we will stop wasting time on him" she said as she fixed his collar. "But at least for tonight, you must be perfect. You have to make him drool over you in case we need him."_

_End Flashback_

So now Ashe was hiding somewhere around to Squall's disappointment. He signed and kicked a can that was on the road. Like deceiving Cloud wasn't enough, he had to have Ashe around him to check if he was playing the role of the boyfriend well. Honestly… that woman… he hated her. He was so pissed off with her that he would willingly loose so she would as well. Screw the rules! He disliked her as he had never disliked a woman before.

He looked around again trying to locate her but as she was very well hidden. Even Squall would need a lot of concentration to break her illusions and spells. He looked at his watch. Ten more minutes. But at the road he saw Cloud walking. He also wore black. Squall smiled and hid behind a wall. Cloud after a minute or two reached the corner where they had first met. Squall grabbed him from behind and Cloud let out a scream. He turned to see the brown haired man holding him. He relaxed and then started laughing.

"So you got even earlier than me?" he asked.

"Happened to be ready too early" Squall said and let go of him. "Let's go for a walk" he proposed and the blond man nodded as they had already started walking.

* * *

Ashe was hiding in a dark corner on a roof. She saw the scene with the two men. Well one was the man… the other was more like a summon. A being anyway. Details… why should anyone be bothered with them? Ashe after all never cared much about her warrior. The man seemed to be very fascinated with Squall but the most surprising was that Squall seemed to be very fascinated with the blond man as well. Something like that wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. She kept following them jumping from roof to roof. She suddenly stopped. She looked behind. Something was coming… coming fast. She looked at Squall and the blond. Squall seemed to have realized it as well but he was a very good actor. She had to admit that as well.

Then it came. It was like a strong hit that paralyzed the body and affected the mind. She became dizzy but soon she was able to snap out of this. This hit though had something terrifying inside. It wasn't a simple mage's aura the one molded in. She looked at the blond man.

_I underestimated your sister. It seems there will be no use of you…_

She looked back again. She quickly cast more spells that covered her presence and strengthened Squall's protection. The thing though she didn't notice was that the person who was being searched was no other but Cloud Strife whose presence was not only uncovered but connected with his sister's.

* * *

Squall felt the hit too. And Ashe's spells. He looked at Cloud with worry. Something bad would happen. Then after a moment he realized. His sister was searching for him and if she found them things would get messy. Very messy.

If she got out of control, there was a chance that they would all die including her and her precious brother. But Squall knew better. The girl had a precise control over her aura and it came naturally to her. The wave was the proof. She wouldn't loose easily her self control. But still Cloud was her weakness, as she was Cloud's

_She is__ in a way as talented as the previous one was. But with such a different background._

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Riku! Riku!"__ a voice yelled._

"_What is it?"__ he answered angrily. _

"_Sora is here. Don't tell me you forgot your date?" his mom asked._

"_No, mom! Tell him to come in". After a moment the door opened and Sora with his beautiful blue eyes came smiling. _

"_Ready?"__ he asked._

"_Yep. Come on, everyone is waiting" he said._

_They were outside of the house at the park of Twilight which was considerably different. As they walked they saw Axel and Roxas coming their way. "Hey! Cousin!" Roxas yelled and ran to Sora hugging him._

"_What's up? Are you on a date or something?" Axel asked as he hugged Riku with one hand from the shoulder._

"_This is what you are doing Axel"__ Riku pointed out with his usual cold voice that Sora always thought so sexy. _

"_Don't be shy now Riku" he said. _

_Meanwhile Roxas was whispering something to Sora. __"So has anything happened between you?"_

"_We kind of are on a date now… but you know it is still the beginning and I don't like to rush things." Sora whispered back. "You?"_

"_Same as always. We have fun together but nothing serious"_

"_I see"_

"_Hey, what are you two talking about?" Riku and Axel asked at the same time. _

"_Noth…Nothing"__ they both said at the same time. _

"_Since we are all here, let's make it a double date!" Axel said loudly. Some people turned their heads at them and some just gave them glances. _

"_Shut up idiot!"__ Riku said and hit him on the head._

"_Why did you do that, idiot?"__ Axel asked touching his head._

"_Because you are an idiot, idiot."__ he said._

"_Oh yeah, idiot?"_

"_Yeah, idiot!"_

"_Now, now…there is no reason for you to be fighting, idiots" another male voice said. Everybody turned their attention to a man wearing green clothes. _

"_Baralai!"_

"_When did you get back in town?"__ Sora and Roxas asked in unison._

"_Yesterday night." h__e answered. He turned his attention to Riku and Axel "I see that the famous, _ridiculous_ and annoying fights have not stopped"._

"_No"__ Riku said._

"_Never"__ Axel finished._

"_As long as we see each other, we will keep doing this" they said in unison._

"_It is a symbol of their love"__ a new voice said. This time everyone felt chills from deep down their core. _

"_Hello Vincent"__ Baralai said at the newcomer. _

"_Welcome back, Baralai."__ he said to the man and touched his shoulder as a way of greeting him. He looked at the other four. He smirked. "My my…our two cute couples" he said teasingly. He looked at the two cousins "Fighting again?"_

"_Yeah. They don't seem to comprehend with the idea of maturing and growing up" Roxas said._

"_Thank God, they have us." Sora said. Everybody laughed with this statement. They started all together walking to the centre of the town where they found some other familiar faces. _

"_Hey, hey, look who we have here!" a blond man said._

"_Baralai"__ everyone said._

"_How have been man?" the blond asked as they shook hands._

"_Good, Tidus. Congratulations! You are the team Captain I heard." _

"_Yes I am."he said. "__So how is Hollow Bastion? The University? The girls?" he asked._

"_Good. Everything is good"__ he said and slightly blushed._

"_I love your detailed answers." Tidus said ironically and everybody laughed._

"_Oh look who is there!"__ Roxas said. _

"_Squall!" __Sora yelled and ran at the very handsome man. _

"_Hey kiddo"__ he said. He looked at Sora's company. "Hello everyone." he said._

"_Hi Squall!" they said in a unison excluding Baralai and Vincent who just smiled at him._

"_Going to Seifer?"__ Vincent asked._

"_Yes…but Sephiroth will be there too." he said a little disappointed in a way._

"_Why would that freak be there?"__ Axel asked._

"_He invited himself"__ Squall said and looked at his watch. "Sorry guys but if I don't hurry, I'll be late. Later!" he said as he continued his way._

"_Later!"_

"_Why would Sephiroth want to be there?" Roxas asked._

"_Do you think we will have a love triangle?" Riku asked._

"_No way! Sephiroth doesn't love. He probably wants a threesome with those two." Axels said disgusted with the idea of Sephiroth in a love scene._

"_Mmm yeah… you've seen the way he looks at Seifer and Squall huh?"_

"_It's lust then"__ Baralai said._

"_But I wouldn't like anything to happen. Sephiroth is such a sadist and he would only cause trouble'' Tidus said._

"_Worried?"__ Riku asked._

"_A little. I mean, why can't he just fuck up the that other weirdo, Kadaj?". Everyone stayed silent for a momet._

"_Well anyway… we'll see what happens and act according to it" Vincent said and they all went into a restaurant to eat._

_End Flashback_

"Riku!" a woman's voice said. He couldn't remember who she was but it was familiar. "Hey! Snap out of it!" He looked around and saw Rinoa standing next to him. "Are you okay?"

'Yeah' he said. 'Just remembered something… really bittersweet' he said. How little did they know about themselves? How did they end up in this hell? Who trapped them? Why them?

* * *

Rinoa was walking with Riku when she saw in front of her a girl with red hair. She was there with a brown haired boy hugging her. Riku looked at them and couldn't help it. He ran at them and grabbed Sora into a hug. He now knew who he was… the people he loved.

"Sora!" he said as he hugged the boy tighter. Sora quite shocked from this outburst looked at Kairi and then at Rinoa. Could this be an attack? He couldn't risk it. He looked again at Kairi. He wanted her to win. Riku hadn't let go of him yet.

"Kairi" he whispered as she prepared herself for a fight. Suddenly Riku let go of him and grabbed his face to make him look at him. Those beautiful blue eyes. He didn't think, just acted according to his instincts as he kissed the boy passionately. Sora stood frozen there… not knowing what to do but shocked from the familiarity of this action. In his mind things traveled… things like memories he'd never lived… or thought so. Riku seeing that Sora did not respond leaned back.

"What the hell was that?" Kairi asked controlling her anger. She pushed Riku back and hugged Sora. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?" She asked her warrior concerned. Riku felt angry at seeing this red haired touching HIS Sora and Sora feeling comfortable with that. Rinoa from behind stood paralyzed at what had happened.

"Um… Riku?" she called. The silver haired turned his attention at her. "Would you mind to come here for a second?" she asked sweetly with a deadly look. He came closer to her, glaring at Kairi who was caressing Sora. Rinoa grabbed him from the shoulder. "Excuse us for a second" she said to Kairi and Sora.

"What is it?" he asked her impatiently. So un Riku.

"What the hell are you doing?"

* * *

Lea was walking with Reito slowly enjoying her time with him. They were silent but it was a silence that didn't bring discomfort. It was a silence they both wanted and were happy to have it. Their silent agreements. The way Reito always understood what Lea needed, even before Lea knew she wanted it, drove her crazy. She looked at him with the corner of her eye… he was handsome. So very handsome.

"What?" he asked catching her looking at him.

"Oh nothing." she said as she moved her hand. "Come on! I want you to meet someone" she said and took his hand.

"Someone? I guess that means Kadaj right?" he asked.

"You know of him?" she asked confused but then remembered. "Oh yeah… you know all my life."

"Of course… I am way closer than you think. Always…." He leaned towards her. "Even in your most private hours I am with you, inside you" he whispered in her ear and his hot breath made her shiver. She quickly regained her self control and as he was about to get away from her, held him with her hands. The one was at the bottom of his waist, a little higher than his hips and the other at his neck. She smirked. She also knew that game. And it was her turn now. She leaned to his ear and breathed on him.

"Reito… you are just part of my private moments" her hand was under his jacket and shirt and she felt his body welcoming her touch. And for the last point to win this game was needed only thing. She kissed slowly his ear massaging it with her tongue. She leaned back. "You still taste like salt" she laughed.

He seemed lost for a moment but he also regained his control soon. They slowly let go one another and walked silently without even exchanging looks to the hotel. There Kadaj was waiting near the window, waiting to see Lea returning. And finally she returned but…

_Not alone_

A man was walking next to her. They didn't talk and didn't even give each other attention but their bodies seemed to move together. Who was this man? He was quite handsome… a male Lea in a way. Pale skin, black hair… black clothes. They did make a good couple he had to say. After a few moments he heard the door opening. He looked at Lea entering with the man behind her.

"Hey Lea" Kadaj said. "Did you enjoy your walk?"

"I certainly did…" she started.

"But you nearly died" the man finished.

"Died?" Kadaj raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"She had a crisis." he said.

"And I guess you helped her overcome it?" Kadaj asked ironically knowing that such a thing couldn't happen.

"Yes, he did" Lea answered. "Reito here is one of the best healers and he can help me fight it back. I don't know how he does it though"

"Aha. So your name is Reito." Kadaj said.

_The one that has that much power over Lea. _

"Yes" the man said and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you Kadaj." The silver haired man took the offered hand. He looked at his eyes. They were… sinister… sly… like a snake. And then he looked at him next to Lea. He was right. They did complete each other. They did go together.

"Nice to meet you too, Reito" he said. "I suppose you know of my identity."

"I know more things than you imagine. Than you can imagine" Reito answered.

_Think so?_

Kadaj tried to enter the man's mind but he found barrier's raised. He smirked. So the man was strong indeed. But he was a mind user, if he was to face barriers then he would simply crash them to get what he wanted. Reito though just strengthened his defenses. Lea completely aware of what was going on between their minds, prepared herself in case Reito needed any back up. Of course there were not many chances about that. He was strong enough to defend against her, he would easily defend against Kadaj.

"You know that's annoying."

"You seem experienced against mind attacks." Kadaj stated.

"With Lea in my life, that's to be expected." he answered pushing Kadaj completely out of his head.

"Reito can even defend against me." Lea said with a calm voice but there was a hint of pride in her tone. Suddenly her cell phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hello…"

"Lea…?" a female voice said anxiously.

"Mai?" Lea asked worried.

* * *

**That's it... tell me what you think? Is the plot going too fast? Is it unrealistic? Is it confusing? **

**Have a good day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** This is one of my favourite and most important chapters! Many things no one suspects happen here, so enjoy! I would like to thank XSilverLiningsX and Leirative who beta -ed the chapter.

* * *

Title: The Fake Mirror's Crash Sets The Beginning Of The Final Act

"Yes, Lea", she said.

"Hey girl,what's up?" she asked. "Where are you calling from?" she asked.

"Lea, xcept from _us _does anyone else in the family know of this phone number?" she asked.

"No,why?"

"Good, we're in so much trouble", she said.

"What do you mean? Has anything happened?" she asked with concern.

"Do you remember that business, he one with the computers?" she asked.

"Yeah, what of it? The case is closed… I personally took care of it", she said.

"I think the elders know. And they know more about us… they are searching Lea. I found my papers differently put one day. And someone sneaks in and out of my room. I talked with Tom and he said that he also has the feeling of being watched. And the other relatives… the ones that hold power look at us strangely. They don't let us approach the children as well."

"What papers did you have?" she questioned.

"Not anything that could get us into trouble. I have those kinds of files in our own apartment", she reassured. "Lea, you're the leader… what should we do?" she asked.

"To begin with, inform the others and check if all of them are loyal. In case someone isn't… you know what happens. After the checking and if needed the 'cleaning' of us, inform. This is very important. Call me and I'll see what we shall do afterwards. Anything else you want to tell me?" she asked and looked at Reito and Kadaj who were silent.

"When will you come back cousin? I don't feel safe…oe day I was nearly hit by a small arrow, the ones that Indians used with poison in or something and that Yuichi is always behind me. I am afraid…" she said.

"That bastard! Ok… I don't know when I am returning or if I am returning… but maybe you will come where I am. Or I'll come to get you… we'll see. Be extra careful of everyone… Do the checking and everything that goes with it and inform after that… no one must be alone. Sleep together, eat together and spent every minute of your day and night together. I will call you soon. If anything happens inform me" Lea instructed strictly

"Yes, cousin", She said.

"Oh and if that piece of dirt dares to touch you, I will kill him… you can tell him that, although he of all people knows that very well. You are my favorite and nothing will change that!" she said protectively.

"I love you Lea" Mai said.

"Me too. Later."

"Later."

Lea closed the phone and looked at Kadaj and Reito. She closed her eyes. Why did life have to get so complicated now… now that she could enjoy him.

"Is everything all right? Is Mai ok?" Reito asked.

"You know Mai?" Kadaj asked. He lived with Lea for two years and Lea didn't even let him approach Mai of all people.

"No… not exactly", he answered.

"Don't worry", she said.

"Ok", the men said simultaneously. She looked at them and walked past them. "I am going to eat downstairs, whoever wants to eat is welcome to come with me", and without waiting she left. Reito ran after her while Kadaj stayed in the room.

_Something definitely happened__ and I don't like you Reito. In fact I think I hate you, even though I just met you._

Lea was walking quickly when Reito caught up to her. "Hey… you walked like you wanted to get away of something", he remarked.

"That's not true. I always walk fast", she said.

"True but your way of walking is never frustrated", he said.

"You can tell?" she asked slightly surprised of how well he knew her, and very happy deep inside.

"Of course… No one knows you better than me right?" he said.

"Don't flatter yourself so much" she told him as they entered the dining room. "There are also people who know me very well… maybe even perfectly."

"Mai for example?" Reito asked.

"Yes Mai… but Tommy also is so close to me", she said. The way she spoke his name was clearly different from normal.

"Oh… that obedient cousin of yours", he said as he sat down.

"You are fooled by him; Tommy never obeys… I have trouble dealing with him although…lately he seems to have calmed down. I bet it is thanks to Mai's patience with him. This taming was so difficult though… even for a deceiver and destroyer as strong as Mai."

"I think this taming is because of you. He has an infatuation with you and Mai, a little, and he wants so badly to get into your bed that he simply obeys", Reito pointed out slightly annoyed.

"He does?" she asked rather interested in his opinion. So interested that he didn't like it.

"Can't you tell?" he asked.

"I always considered the affection he gave me rather brotherly" she said, although this thought had crossed hers and Mai's mind.

"How can it be brotherly affection when someone hugs you all the time and glares to all men around?" he wondered out loud.

"There are overprotective brothers" she answered back.

"You are not the person to be protected though", Reito pointed out.

"Then what are you doing in my life Reito?" she asked and looked at him with that sincere look she gave only him.

"Making it difficult", he answered immediately and that made her laugh. "It would not be fair if everything always went the way you wanted it. I am a small obstacle that keeps some balance", he said.

"No", she said as she took his hand. He looked at her curiously. "You are not small in my life. You are very far from being small."

* * *

"I am OK Kairi. Don't worry, just a little shocked; I didn't expect something like this", Sora said and looked at Riku. "Especially from him. I wonder why he did that."

"Because you are so cute of course! What a bastard to do that to you!" she said angrily and gave Riku another cold look.

Meanwhile Rinoa was scolding Riku.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing I should be ashamed of. I kissed my boyfriend." He looked at Sora lustfully and lovingly. Kairi seeing his actions glared at him and pulled Sora closer to her. Riku glared at her in return. Rinoa shocked by the overflowing emotions in her usually emotionless warrior, hit him on his back.

"I am talking to you Riku! Don't let go of your focus. These are our enemies!" she hissed at him and pulled him closer to her. Their faces were now inches apart. Riku blushed slightly but did not move. "I don't know what your past is and I am deeply sorry for your cursed fate and the life that was denied to you. But… right now… I need to have next to me the Wolf Of Ice, Riku. My cold merciless logical warrior. When we are alone, act as humanly as you want. But right now…we may be attacked by your precious _boyfriend _and his _girlfriend_.'

"Girlfriend?" he asked worried and he was like a teenager that felt the first romantic betrayal. Rinoa grabbed his head and forced him to look again at her as his head had turned at Sora and Kairi who were whispering something to each other.

"Riku!" she hissed again.

"But Rinoa… I don't want to be anymore the cruel warrior that is going to be sealed again. I want to live", he protested. Rinoa taken aback once more as he called her by her first name, took a big breath. The one in front of her wasn't her warrior but the one who would become her warrior. She had to break the ice this time for her sake and perhaps for his so she hugged him and kissed his cheek. She now understood that he was a little taller than her. She caressed his back and smiled at him.

"Let's make a deal Riku. I will talk with Sora's mistress and see if we can become allies from now on. I should after all reveal the truth behind this cursed war. If we become allies you will be able to spend time with Sora and perhaps he will remember as well. And you can tell me everything you want about him and yourself and what you had…"

"Have" he corrected her sternly.

"You have, if you feel comfortable enough to tell me. And I will talk to you about me and we will have a brand new star", she finished.

"Really? You'd that for me?" he asked.

"Yes of course!" she said and forced an enthusiastic smile. 'You will sleep on the bed with me to be more comfortable." she said. Seeing his curious look about the idea of them together on a bed she remembered she was talking with a teenager right now that lived in a period that there were different customs thus she added quickly. "As brother and sister I mean. Don't think I'll do something to you or try to steal you from your precious, Sora."

Riku relaxed and grabbed her to a hug. "Thank you Rinoa! I Love you so much!" he said as he did circles around himself holding her. "I will kill all the enemies you want… Anything for Rinoa!" he said.

"Just put me down for now!" Rinoa practically yelled and Riku let her fall immediately. She was lucky though that she didn't loose her balance otherwise she would have fallen on heap of trash. "Be more careful!" she scolded him.

Sora and Kairi were watching this, Kairi being confused and slightly angry from Riku's behavior. He kissed Sora and then he was hugging and being hugged by another person. Sora was ready to do a murder. Unknown yet he felt a strong hit of Jealously as Riku was touching this woman, a very attractive woman he had to admit. Rinoa looked at Kairi.

"I need to reveal something to you", she said.

"Not interested", Kairi said.

"Will you still say that even after learning that it concerns Lea Lockhart?" she asked. Kairi felt her inside squeezed at the sound of the name of the previous winner. "And about the possibility that we will have to face her as well? And the truth behind the war?" Rinoa added.

Kairi tried to speak but found herself unable. Lea Lockhart her enemy...? That was like sending her to a death penalty with the difference that at the penalty she might had a death with more dignity in it. The truth behind the war? She looked at Rinoa with frightened yet interested now eyes. Could this woman, her _enemy_, be offering a way to survive? To survive and escape from the fate she had accepted that she would face. Kairi looked at Sora. Why now? Now that she had accepted to fight and necessarily kill. What if it was not possible or there was no way. How could she face again the same truth? How could she force her to live through that hell again? She was only a child.

"Are you?" Rinoa asked coldly as suited for the Ice mistress.

Kairi looked at Sora who avoided her look not wanting to influence her. "Yes", she muttered.

"I didn't hear you", Rinoa said.

"Yes!" Kairi said angrily. "Yes!" her voice was full of despair.

"Better. Much better."

And she told her everything she had found out. Kairi listened and kept her calmness being as mature as possible a fact that surprised Rinoa since others would have fallen to their knees and cried but this little skinny girl accepted it with dignity and calmness. She was able to suppress her despair and fear for negotiations. She smiled at her. She would get along well with Kairi it seemed.

"So, I want to inform the other mistress and see if anyone is interested in helping with the ending of this mess and if this is not possible with the elimination of Lea Lockhart. What do you say?" she asked.

"It seems a good idea…" she started but suddenly something hit her. Magic. Strong magic that was searching for someone. Kairi was barely able to stand on her feet and Rinoa was at the same condition. Sora and Riku were left with their eyes wide open. Then it hit Sora.

"I think we should tell you something" he said. The magic had left leaving a feeling of danger and threat to the ones who sensed it. "This is the aura of the Roxas's mistress, another mind user." he said.

"A mind user… with Roxas?" Rinoa asked no one in particular.

"Lea Lockhart with a suitable warrior for mind users?" Riku said.

"How many monsters does this war have?" Kairi said out loud in shaky voice.

* * *

Namine with Olette was running towards the way her brother was. She was close. She knew that. She felt something hot inside her and it was getting hotter and hotter. And the heat gave her power to run faster, at an inhuman speed. Her legs were nearly off the ground. She stopped as she saw her brother walking next to the warrior, the brown haired man. He didn't feel anything from him but she knew he was the warrior. She instantly remembered his face and the heat inside her combined with her anger and slight relief that she had found Cloud alive, was enough to crash the spells that were blocking his presence. Her aura made Squall and Cloud stop moving. Cloud sensing this powerful feeling saw his sister's image flash in his mind. This was her and it was a scary her. A scary Namine. He looked at her and felt his breathing to become heavier and heavier. It was difficult to breathe and stand anymore. She ran at him and hugged him. After glaring at Squall and pulling Cloud closer to her she stood in front of him. Roxas, Olette and Axel were still away. She was alone and for a moment thought what could she do. "I know who you are", she hissed.

"I know you do", he said. Suddenly a woman landed next to Squall. Namine gave her a cold, cruel glare, a glare of the kinds that could kill if looks were weapons.

"Hello… miss Strife", the woman said.

"Hello…" she answered not knowing the woman's name. Then the burning sensation returned and she suddenly knew the name of the woman. "Miss Ashe Dalmasca", she finished and half smiled. Squall and Ashe looked at each other.

_How could she…?_

"I am a mind user… it is to be expected of me", she answered their question. Ashe gave her a cold look that made Namine feel awesomely good. "To win", she said loudly knowing that this would irritate the woman more.

"You brat…!" Ashe said and was ready to attack. Squall held her as Namine stood in a defensive stance, her hands ready to activate a shield.

"Mistress! Control your anger", he said.

"Mistress?" Cloud asked suddenly realizing the whole scene. "Oh shit!"

"Yes Cloud. He is a warrior and they used you to come to me or something", she said.

"Let go of me Squall! She is here without a warrior. Let's just kill her and finish with it", Ashe said angrily as she freed herself from the man's hold. Cloud at the moment he heard 'kill her' looked at them angrily.

"Shut the hell up you freaks!" he said and stood in front of his sister protectively.

"Cloud! I am the one that protects here. Stay back!" Namine said as she pulled him back. She checked around to see if her allies were close but they still had a long way.

"Squall", Ashe said. "Attack!"

The warrior looked at Cloud with a sad look that reminded Cloud of the first warrior he met.

_Flashback_

"_Stop where you are! Drop your weapon and raise your hands," Cloud said. The boy looked at Cloud out of the corner of his eye and said bitterly; "I wish I could," and the boy shone brightly and sent Cloud at the wall_.

_End Flashback. _

"Squall!" Cloud pleaded before Squall jumped at him and sent him at the wall. Namine saw her brother fall and moving weakly. She looked at them suddenly feeling empty, loosing all the magnificent power she had before. Ashe raised an eyebrow and moved closer to the girl.

"It is a pity you know. Your big bro was such a good piece of a male. I would have fun playing with him" she said and grabbed Namine's neck. Namine was in her own world trying to find something to force her to move but she found nothing. The thought only of her brother in danger made her lose control. She couldn't even mover after seeing him getting hurt in front of her eyes. And the worst was that he didn't get up. She felt Ashe's fingers on her neck as they were trying to prevent her from breathing.

"I see _brat _you are a disgrace to the mind users. You are losing", Ashe mocked her. Namine closed her eyes letting herself fall into despair.

Namine was again in the dark place she had been when she understood that Cloud was in danger; she could see nothing, she could feel nothing, she could hear nothing except from water running.

"Hello?" she said but she felt that her voice was not heard. The woman appeared next to her. This time she looked at Namine with a very calm expression and took her into a hug and looked into the eyes.

_This is a world where minds rule. _Namine heard into her mind.

_So… instead of speaking I think?_

_Precisely. _

_Am I dead? _Namine asked.

_No but if you don't hurry, you will be. Time is not in your side. _The woman said as she was getting away.

_What can I do?_

_Call him in your heart. _

_Who?_

_Call him in your heart. _Namine was back in reality and she felt herself gasping for air. She looked weakly at Ashe that seemed she hadn't moved at all.

_Call him in my heart…? _

She looked at the sky. There in the dark sky, like an abyss, she found the answer.

_ROXAS!_

She grabbed Ashe's hand and with the power again inside her she removed it from her throat. Ashe taken aback by this change of attitude looked at her and then at Squall. "What the hell are you looking at? Kill her already!" she yelled. As Squall was ready to do so as a hand grabbed his leg . Cloud shook his head with pleading eyes. Before Squall could anything Roxas grabbed him and threw him at a wall. Olette and Axel arrived as well.

* * *

Namine suddenly disappeared from their sight. Olette blinked and looked at Axel. Roxas closed and opened his eyes in surprise.

_Now she can use the flash steps? What the hell has happened to her today? First the inside eye, now that!_

"She used the flash steps. It is an ability obtained by mind users", he explained to the other two. Olette nodded in understanding and Axel looked at his mistress.

"Come one guys. We do not have time to spare." she said and continued running. Axel gave a glance at Roxas before following his mistress. Roxas more felt than saw the glance and looked at the sky.

_She can do so many things for you Cloud. She can overcome obstacles that not even a simple mind user can. Not that easily at least. You are lucky to have her as a sister and cursed at the same time._

He continued running after them. They were in a way running towards the faint hit Namine left behind but despite how much they ran the hint did not increase.

Suddenly he heard inside him Namine calling his name. He looked around and after grabbing Olette and Axel he followed his mistress call. She was in danger and she was fighting back.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Namine yelled as she pushed Ashe away from him.

"Well excuse us for being normal. We cannot use our minds the way you do." Axel said.

"Allies?" she asked.

"Yeah… surprised?" she asked.

"Not at all. I was sure some weaklings would stick together till they were all eliminated", she said and attacked Olette. "So I shall start with the weakest", Olette being an athletic person easily run away giving time to Namine to attack Ashe from behind. Ashe at the last moment created a weak shield which was crushed by Namine's force and thus she was slightly hit by the remaining of the spell.

"You are fighting us as a team", Namine said. Ashe got up and looked at the two young girls. They were the ones she was looking for and now she had them both in front of her but together they would be quite a bother so she had to be careful and use her best spells. The truth was that she never took part before to a real battle where she had to fight other mages. It was useless to have a warrior when in her battle she was alone. In the battle with the other mage she was attacked and apart from that she killed the mistress without using magic. It seemed that the woman was so focused at supporting her warrior that she didn't think of protecting herself. Ashe wouldn't do that mistake. She wouldn't help Squall now… because she had to protect herself. The girls didn't move; they were as well immature in battles. She had though more experience in wielding magic and she had lived her whole life preparing for this. She was raised to take part in the war. She could win easily. She was sure. She smiled and felt again confident about her abilities.

"So you two are friends? You seem to be around the same age?" Ashe said trying to buy some time to think of a plan while they were doing circles around her.

"Does that really matter to you?" Olette asked.

"No not really but I thought you'd like to have one last chat before you die." Ashe said.

"Who ever said we are going to die?" Namine asked, casting a spell against Ashe.

"Well… you know who I am. A Dalmascan. I was trained to participate for this war most of my life and well it is in my family's blood to kill you know", Ashe replied in a mocking voice.

"You know I think you are doing this chat right now… to buy some time… to think of a plan." Olette said and took a step closer to her.

"You know Olette", Namine said taking her eyes off Ashe for a moment to glance at Olette. Then she returned her gaze at Ashe while she was saying. "I think you are right", and took a step closer as well.

"You know girls", Ashe said looking at her feet. She raised her eyes to the dark sky. "You are right", she said and disappeared only to appear behind Olette holding a knife. At the last moment Olette kneeled and avoided Ashe's attempt to kill her. Namine didn't hesitate and tried to kill Ashe in return with an explosion spell. It would have worked if it was really Ashe the one standing there but it was a clone. Olette ran away from where it was avoiding to be hit by the explosion. They looked around to locate where Ashe was. Namine who was more skilled in finding people tried to find her but it was not possible; somehow she had filled the whole area with her aura. Simply put it was like she was everywhere.

"What do we do?" Namine asked Olette.

"How should I know? You are the prodigy here. And not only in academic things but in magic as well it seems", Olette snapped.

"Oh shut up", Namine said.

"I believe though it is better if we don't start searching each one on our own. You know what I mean right?"

"I think I do and I agree", Namine said. Olette grabbed Namine's hand and they started walking around. She was nowhere and the worst thing, she was felt everywhere. For Namine it would have been more comforting if she was felt nowhere. Then she would have some chance of finding a source.

"Do you think you could break her spell? I believe it is some kind of illusion, only that it wants to deceive our sense of direction instead of our eyes", Olette said. Namine looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?" Olette asked confused.

"That was pretty clever you know", Namine praised.

"I can't let you take all the glory", Olette said as Namine tried to block the spell. But it was easier said than done. Olette understanding the difficulty tried to find some weak spots as well. Although her abilities as a mage generally were medium but with work she could become pretty good as Axel said she had an amazing control of her magic and she understood the spells very easily. That was why it was easier for her to do defensive moves and healing stuff. Axel actually had said she could become a healer and a very good one. The spell was simply put complicated. It had a combination of things. There was the basic illusion stuff about confusing and everything but the aim was all the senses of a human person. Except from that the feeling of the spell was also confusing. It was like it wasn't supposed to be cast for them but for the area and the area send it to them. She looked at Namine who had made no progress. "Did you understand the way the spell is made?" she asked her.

"Huh?" Namine asked confused.

"Well it is not a simple spell. It has a variety of abilities. There are the basic illusion stuff about confusing us but instead of simple illusion spells this one aims to confuse all the senses of the people that are in the area that the spell is casted", Olette explained.

"Really?" Namine asked. She had never considered how a spell was made. "It is good to have you with me Olette. So if we leave the area our senses will be back to normal and then we can reenter the area after casting protection spells on us?" she asked.

"I think this is logical", Olette said. "Won't hurt to give it a shot."

"So I should search for what? How will we find a way out of here?"

"Um… I don't know."

* * *

Ashe was standing, staring at Olette and Namine who were trying to deal with how they could break her spell. She was actually impressed that the Axel mistress was able to understand the spell so quickly. If she had studied magic, she could have broken it as well. She raised her hand and started casting a spell of shadow that as it touches the victim becomes toxic and destroys the enemy rather painfully and slowly. It was a spell that despite the time could not be escaped except if someone saw the shadow and ran away from it but this was not going to happen because of Ashe's first spell that confused and in a way sealed their senses. Ashe had nearly finished, released the deadly shadow and sent it against the t

* * *

wo girls.

Namine stopped moving and tried to concentrate. There had to be a way to understand differences in the world. Right now everything seemed the same, everything smelled the same, and everything had the same sound and everywhere felt like the Dalmasca. She had to find a way to feel. She felt her heartbeat quicken and felt that danger was coming making her feel that she had to find a way to breath through this, quickly. To break through this situation she was in. For her sake, for Ollette's sake, for their warriors' sakes and most of for Cloud's sake, she had to survive. The thought of her brother that always protected her and took care of her was like a cold shower that brought her back into reality. She turned to look back seeing Ashe standing there with her right had pointing at them. Quickly she stood in front of Olette and created a shield. But there was nothing coming to them. Olette was looking around trying to find what was happening and saw the moving shadow on the ground.

"Namine! The shadow!" she yelled and pulled Namine back the moment it was ready to touch her feet. Namine looked scared at the shadow that was again coming towards them. "Run around. Don't stay in one place." she said and followed her own advice as Namine immediately did the same. The shadow then stopped confused not knowing where its aim was.

_So it had both of us as a target which means if we are separated it does not know who to strike. _

Olette happy about her discovery looked at Ashe. She seemed to be thinking something. Soon she would choose to kill one of them and then deal with the other. She did not know what it did but she was sure it wasn't something good. After all they were playing with their lives right now and there could be no risking trying to find out the effects of the spell on people. Shadow… Shadow…

_What makes shadows disappear? Light!_

She raised her hand as the shadow began to move against Namine. Namine started running again around.

"Namine come behind me!" Olette said. Namine did as she was told and hid behind Olette's back. Olette had her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate at her spell. She opened her eyes looking at the shadow that was close to them. Immediately a fire lit up in the middle of the shadow and its light made the shadow disappear. Namine behind her putted her shoulder and they looked at Ashe once again. Ashe frustrated at her failed attempt to kill them made her next move quickly. She created two small balls with lightning magic in one and water magic in the other holding one with each of her hands. She threw them at the girls who immediately created shields. This time though the balls did not seem affected. They became smaller balls and they started attacking from all sides. To prevent getting hurt they casted together a shield that was round and they were inside. The balls though did not seem to get any weaker. Instead they became smaller and more. The shield would wear off eventually and that was bad for them, very bad. Namine seeing the situation coming started getting desperate and created a second round shield of her own that pushed the balls away since its force was more powerful than them as their force had become small from becoming so small. Namine opened her eyes only to see that some balls were headed at where Cloud lay. Seeing that she ran at him. The balls though did not stop. Instead it was like they were now heading towards her brother.

_Flashback_

_The image of a car damaged was the front page of all the newspapers. There were more photos though. It was of the two victims of the car accident. The man who was the driver had his head opened and his beautiful features could not be recognized anymore. The woman who was sitting next to the driver was in a better condition. She had scratches in face and large piece of wood had crashed the back of her head. They both had instant deaths. The survivor of this was an eleven year old girl who thanks to seating at the back seats thus being protected by her parents in front of her survived. She fainted from the shock and was slightly hit by some small pieces of glass. She had a small memory loss that the doctor claimed it was because her subconscious didn't want to remember the actual act of the crash. _

_Little Namine woke up after two days in a hospital with her brother next to her holding her hand. He was crying. She opened her eyes and squeezed his hand slightly to show him she was awake. He looked up at her and hugged her while he let more tears escape his eyes. _

"_Mom? Dad?"__ she asked weakly. It was nearly a whisper. She felt so weak she could not even talk properly._

"_I am sorry honey. They died in the crash. You are the only survivor", he said and more tears escaped. Surprisingly Namine did not cry. She stared like an idiot at the ceiling feeling her elder, her brother's hot tears on her skin._

_End Flashback_

Since that day Cloud had taken care of her. He lived his life for her and suddenly became an adult for her. He ended his life that very day and now because of her he was going to get killed by magical forces. And he always said that magic did not exist. It was just a way for people to express their fear for the supernatural and that was why it was connected with Gods. The reason God existed was solemnly for people's needs. That was what he believed. That was what he taught her.

Suddenly the heat she felt earlier returned and she was able to surpass the balls and stand in front of her brother protectively.

* * *

Ok that's it. I hope you enjoyed it! I also hope you'll tell me what you think. Have a good day!


	15. Chapter 15

**I would like to thank XSilverLiningsX and Leirative who beta -ed the chapter.**

* * *

Title: The Scattered Glass Lies On The Floor Along With The Blood Of Our Loved Ones

Rinoa was in front of a cave and looked at the entrance, it was dark. The cave was hidden very well. It was inside the heart of the forest. There you found a mansion hid and protected by illusionary techniques. Very strong techniques Rinoa had to admit. When one has broken the spell which by the way was extremely difficult to notice. If Riku hadn't remembered the sealing place and everything she would have been searching wasting her time. Anyway… when you have broken the spell, you go into the mansion and you have to avoid being killed by various kinds of threats like some monsters and traps you go down to the basement of the house. There you have to break the code to open the wall and reveal the cave. Rinoa though thanks to Riku's help was able to reach her destination in only one hour.

"Thanks Riku", she said. He looked at her with his usual cold expression. He had returned to the Wolf Of Ice mode. As they were walking he was thinking about everything that had happened. And the conclusion was that Riku, the boy, could not exist under the current circumstances. He was destined to stay buried inside Riku's soul. A memory of his past. A voice that was shut up. Rinoa looked at him and almost felt sympathetic with him. She had touched his shoulder, not hugged him like she would have done if the boy Riku was in front of her. This was the Wolf Of Ice. This was her warrior and a man she respected a lot.

"No", he protested with a low voice. She looked at him curiously. "Thank _you _for helping me remember. Now even if this war exists till the end of time, I will not feel worthless and empty", He smiled at her with a sad look on his face. "I have existed as a whole personality once. And I remember those wonderful years not just know of their existence so… the pain that the next mistresses will probably make me go through will be bearable", Rinoa looked down and then at his face. She offered him her hand. Riku seemed shocked from that action. "Why..." he started.

"From now on, I am not your mistress. I am Rinoa Heartily and it is my honor to be your companion in this journey that may be my last one,"she cut him off explaining the meaning of her actions. He took her hand and shook it.

"It is my honor as well. I would like to tell you my whole name but I can't remember it. I never had a surname although some of us have… I can't remember mine so I am Riku. Just Riku", He told her.

"You can be Riku Heartily if you want. As a sign of my gratitude you can call yourself a member of the Heartily family. Maybe then you will have a good opinion about us despite being cold and all."

"I already have the best opinion about the Heartily. I wish that all the Heartily mistresses that will exist will be mine and I will do my best to help them survive", he said. Rinoa nodded. They let go of each other and with their cold masks on again the Ice princess and the Ice Knight followed their destiny entering the cave, which was a passage to where the truth was sealed. No one was to know of that place. The moment she did the first step she saw her whole life pass before her eyes. To be played like a movie. She saw all her pain, all the dreams she had secretly made and saw when she destroyed them all one by one. She was the one that made her life miserable and made a promise to herself that if she found a way to survive she would live her life fully without wasting more years and feeling everything. All kinds of pain would be there, all kinds of happiness.

* * *

Namine created a shield protecting herself and her brother. The same thing happened, the ball became two smaller ones and they stroke again. Only this time things were different. Her shield was not enough. Something was drawing energy out of her. She lasted the attack but a second one would be disastrous. She needed more!

Before the second attack came a loud noise was heard from where the warriors battled. Namine looked up along with Ashe and Olette. Axel was nowhere to be seen which made Olette worried. Roxas was fighting with Squall but it was evident that Squall had the upper hand.

_Why? Why? Isn't Roxas supposed to be unbeatable if he had a mind user for a mistress? _

Roxas then at the moment vanished from Squall's sight and reappeared behind him. Squall feeling this was the outcome of the move had already casted a thunder spell which was dispelled by Roxas' shield. Namine at the moment felt again energy leaking out of her.

_He needs my support! He knew I was fighting so he didn't claim power from me which means he decided to use me only for the times when the outcome would be disastrous. _

The thunder spell though instead of wearing off after it reacted with the shield reflected towards the ground and more specifically towards where Namine and Cloud were. Namine felt Roxas draw energy from her and did not have the time to react. Cloud was awake as it seemed since suddenly he found strength inside him to push her away. Namine saw the spells hit her brother's back as she landed on the ground.

Everything was in a slow motion. Every second made her heart beat faster and she wasn't even able to speak as her brother looked at her. He mumbled something. It hit him then and silence ruled them. Namine like an idiot looked at her brother who lay down this time unconscious for sure. He didn't seem to have any visible wounds but his presence was fading. Namine felt the decreasing on her own flesh. Olette with shocked eyes looked at Namine then at Squall. Ashe had an unreadable expression on her face. Roxas seemed worried. Then from the corner of a building Axel appeared. Olette suddenly felt a wave of happiness seeing Axel was alive. She knew she could re-summon him but that seemed cruel to her. It was like not valuing him and she did. Namine took a big breath which broke the silence. Roxas felt inside him the power of a mind user's backup. She got up and her eyes immediately went at Squall. He seemed unable to comprehend with the idea that his spell had hit Cloud.

But she didn't care. She didn't think that moment. She felt. And she felt pain inside her. All the memories of her brother, her parent's deaths, how he changed for her… She remembered the feeling of her mother's touch and her father's loving eyes, her brother before their death. He was more social… liked by many… had friends. And one day for her he deserted life and now… Life had deserted him because of her. ANGER yes she felt that. DESPAIR hell yes she had plenty of that inside her. PAIN, LOVE, GUILT all those feelings were inside her mixed with a hint of madness.

"ROXAS!" she yelled. Roxas felt an incredible power rising. "Kill him", she said in a low voice. Her sudden change of tone was scary. Ashe looked at the girl. She was changed. Something inside her was different. Could her brother mean that much for her? Ashe had brothers and sisters as well but she felt nothing special towards them. They didn't seem to be feeling anything in return either. Some of her siblings had been born after her departure. Ashe was unable to understand how this girl could love her brother that much. Namine turned her eyes on her. And there Ashe understood the difference between the girl from a minute ago and the girl staring at her. Some thing was broken inside her. Yet Ashe was unable to see what. She understood the girl had lost her sanity for now. She was after all a mind user. They were described as bad balanced, emotional and unpredictable.

_Actually w__ho insane person is predictable?_

"Don't think that I forgot you", she stated and walked towards her. Ashe wanted to move but found herself not able to do so. She felt Namine coming closer and closer to her. She was inside her mind. She brought up all the memories Ashe had locked in her sub-consciousness. The pain when she had to let go of her family. She remembered her little brothers and sisters who suddenly felt precious to Ashe. The hidden pain that was never confessed to anyone, that caused her the feeling of loneliness when she returned and was treated like a stranger and even worse felt like a stranger. The loneliness… Namine half smiled.

"It seems it was hard for you as well. But still you have forgotten many things because of how you were raised. But the memories have not faded away. That's why I can play with them", Namine said and she was now in front of Ashe. "Maybe if I put you to live again the situation you have hated the most a hundred times you will be able to tolerate with the pain you caused me", She entered Ashe's mind again and forced her to relive all the moments she had hated.

At the same time Roxas and Squall were fighting on the rooftops. Roxas with his twin blades, one white and the other black, had the upper hand this time. Namine had unleashed some force inside her and she was at her limits. He was a little worried that she may go berserk and if that happened there was a big possibility that they may all die including her but he just hoped that she would be able to keep her control. That was the bad thing about a mind user… they didn't have good control over themselves but they had a magnificent one over the others. Lockhart of course had an amazing self control. It was one of the many things that Roxas was amazed by with her. She had such potential. She wasn't a mind user prodigy though… but she worked very hard from a young age till now nonstop and she achieved it. He thought of Namine. The blond girl had traits of a mind user prodigy but he may be wrong. If she was able to control herself then he would be sure that she was a prodigy, a genius. If not, she was just talented as a mind user.

Squall was ready to hit him with a power break of lightning. He hit with his sword Roxas who defended crossing his twin blades. The two men jumped back while both were trying to form a plan that would end this quick and save their mistresses in time. None had though made any progress.

Squall knew that Ashe was in an immediate danger. The girl, Namine, had woken up by her brother's death. Well he wasn't dead yet but… he was dying. The girl was emotionally dependent on him and his loss had cost her a lot. Squall felt very sad and guilty about Cloud. More sad and certainly more guilty than the previous times he had done the same thing. He was angry with himself. This man… Cloud… had given him a gift that he couldn't realize but felt it. It was like he had pressed a button and suddenly Squall saw the world slightly different. His Cloud… he would have liked him to be his.

_But he wasn't yours from the very beginning. He was already taken by the mind user. Does she even know that he was hers till the very end? His heart, his mind was directed always at her despite being guilty for not thinking her all the time when he was with me. He was hers… devoted to her._

Squall looked down at the girl that was tormenting and toying with Ashe. Yes… she probably did.

Roxas was worried about Namine. Mind users don't have limits. They don't really have a small voice that differs good from bad, right from wrong. It is very hard to differ friends from foes. Most of the mind users are people that always question the other people's motives. They just can't be otherwise but unable to understand some thing at the cost of understanding others that a mortal wouldn't be able to. Namine was so close to totally loose it. Roxas looked at his opponent. If he run and grabbed Namine to get away, then what would happen to Cloud and Roxas knew that to Namine her brother has been her whole world for years now. Squall thought that if he ran to save Ashe, he would be either followed or worse trapped since he fought two mages together. He looked down. How long would Ashe be able to last at this rate? The mind user had so much hate inside her and killing intent that he felt it even from where he was.

"Hey Roxas… want to break the rules?" he asked. The boy eyed him suspiciously and that urged Squall to continue. 'How about we stop this fight for now and save our mistresses? We can continue this another time without the danger of her going berserk or of Cloud dying?' Roxas looked at him then at the two women. Olette with Axel had stayed a bit far maybe a little afraid of the state Namine was in. She was acting so much like a monster. Like a born murderer. On the other hand though…. Weren't usually mind users called born murderers due to their lack of limits?

"Deal", he whispered without giving himself or Squall a choice of changing his decision. Squall quickly pushed him to fall so Namine would hopefully for a moment change her subject of thoughts. Roxas easily landed on the flour and Squall grabbed Ashe who was in a paralyzed situation.

"We must retreat mistress", he said and before she had the slightest bit of reaction they jumped away. Namine angrily was ready to follow sure that she could catch up to them with her newly achieved technique but Olette's voice stopped her.

"Namine… your brother needs help. We don't have time to follow them. You will take revenge later", She said as she ran at Cloud. Namine looked at where Ashe and Squall had gone and then walked towards her brother.

"Is he still alive?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes… but his pulse is weak."

* * *

Kairi was walking in the streets with Sora by her side. She was trying to comprehend with the idea of having to face not only a mind user with Roxas but also the previous winner that happens to be one of the most powerful mages and is a mind user and has a warrior most suitable for a mind user. Yes… life was great. She looked around. She had to find the other mages somehow. She had to warn them but… that is easier said than done. How would she find them and if she did what would she tell them?

_Hi! I am Kairi one of the mages of this war you are participating in and I am here to tell you that the previous winner takes part in this war as well. If you don't know she is one of the most powerful mages in the world and a mind user with a warrior most suitable for a mind user._

No that wouldn't work. They would think she was a lunatic… they would send her to a madhouse. Although now that she thought about it… they didn't really need to go to a madhouse to find disordered minds: their world is the mental institution of its own. So they would just turn their backs on her. On the other hand though there was actually no other way to say the news except from just say them all together. They didn't have time after all. Lea Lockhart won last time by killing all the other mistresses on her own. She could easily do that again and this time she was even stronger.

"Kairi!" Sora's voice made her come back to reality. She had been lost into her thoughts. "A fight is taking place", he said. "Between mages and warriors. There are three mages and warriors."

"Let's go!" She said and ran at where the battle was taking place. As they ran they saw a warrior and his mistress jump from one roof to the other.

"One must have retreated", Sora said. They kept running till they reached the end of the road. There stood a blond girl with a blond boy close to her and a brown haired girl around the same age as the other with a tall red haired man next to her. And between the two girls lay a man on the ground that was dying. Kairi without thinking, ran at them.

"Excuse me", she said to the girls and placed her hands on the man. He was still alive but his presence was fainting. He had been hit by a magic spell. "What kind of spell hit him?" she asked.

"Thunder', the blond girl said. "A thunder spell."

"Is he a magician?" Kairi asked as her hands shined.

"Not exactly. He has some magic powers but he has never probably used them." The blond boy next to the girl who spoke before answered.

"That doesn't matter. He is a magician since the part of his brain that allows him to use magic is active or ready to be activated", she said and continued healing. "Please don't leave. I have some things to tell you." she said.

"I don't intend to leave without my brother", the girl said.

"So you are the mind user", Kairi said and didn't speak anymore, just continued healing. His presence had become stronger and his heart beat had become stable for now. She continued healing and after a moment stopped. 'He is safe for now but he needs to go to a healer to make sure he won't die. He was hit with a spell that was weak as the spell I guess missed and hit him. His body is healed but his magical core has been seriously hit and that affects his brain. I can't do something for that so even though he is not dying if he doesn't receive proper treatment he will sleep forever without dying and without waking up till his heart gets tired and stop beating or something like that.'

"We will take him to the healing center of Twilight." Axel said.

"You will take him. I will stay and after introducing ourselves we will come to where you are." Olette said. She went closer to Namine and held her hand as she caressed her back gently.

"Ok", Axel said and took carefully Cloud in his arms. "See ya", he said and jumped to the rooftop and then he vanished into the city.

"Who are you?" the brown haired asked.

"My name is Kairi Fon Tarlien. I am the holy user of this decade", she said. "There are some unexpected news about this war", she started.

"Tell the Crown Of Light to come and stand next to you. I don't like the fact that you are hiding your warrior", Roxas said.

Kairi nodded and looked at the street where she came from. Sora was standing there in the shadows. "Sora!" she called and the boy stepped out and using a flash move that certainly surprised the two girls stood next to his mistress.

"You!" Namine exclaimed and pointed at the boy. "You are the one who attacked me."

"Yes. We attacked you", Kairi said. "But that is of no importance for now", she said fearing that a fight would begin. "There is an unexpected enemy in this war", she said.

"Speak clearly", Olette said and hugged Namine from the shoulders.

"Lea Lockhart has found a way to take part in this war as well", she said and Roxas's eyes widened from the shock.

"How?" he asked with a voice full of fear. "Who is her warrior?"

"Does the name Kadaj ring a bell to you, Roxas?" she asked. Roxas went a step back.

* * *

Lea had finished her meal and was now watching Reito slowly eat his. She had a small smile on her face examining his face in detail. He hadn't changed much. She hadn't seen him for two years after all. How much could someone change in two years especially if he was supposed to spend his whole day close to her, guarding her. He was handsome. Very handsome. She felt hot blood run through her veins. Her heart beat was faster for a moment. She felt hot as she could see a little of his perfect body due to the tight shirt he was wearing and remembered the rest of his perfect body.

_He must have a lot of admirers._

At that thought she felt a slight anger that she quickly dismissed out of her mind not even daring to give it a thought. It was bad enough that she felt that. They had eaten in silence. It was something weird between them. They understood each other's silence very well. Maybe even better than each other's words. It was like their eyes had a better connection than their minds. Lea looked away as Reito raised his eyes at her having finished his meal…. At last.

"At last you finished. You should get an award for slow eating. I have been waiting for you to finish an hour now", she said annoyed like she didn't want to wait.

"If you wanted to leave, you could. Nobody forced you to stay", he leaned closer to her and touched the upper part of her leg. _"My mistress",_ and his hand went even higher touching her sensitive area. Lea got up not letting this continue and giving him a stern look.

"Don't act so free around me Reito", she said. "I have not given you this freedom."

"Oh but you have", he said not feeling any fear inside him. "A night two years ago"

Lea raised one of her eyebrows and looked at him with a mocking look. "Reito… you are something I have tasted… which means that you no longer make me want you a lot. Your power reduced since you no longer are forbidden. I don't deny that you interest me but you are not my man Reito. You are the best an ally."

'Really?" he asked having changed his expression at a cold one like he was trying to hide something.

"Really", she said and turned to leave. As she did she changed her mind and looked back at him. "And since you seemed to get a little possessive of me about Tommy's attraction to me. You and I shared a night but nothing binds us. Even if one day I have sex with Tom, he will remain my cousin. Blood cannot become water Reito", she smiled at him. "Glad we made that clear."

"Yes, glad to clear that", he said, "since I also consider you just one of the many people I have had sex with. You were a good one stand night and that made me want to test if you would be a nice second fuck but I don't really care you know. There are many women available in this world and for me that life would probably be longer will be many nights to taste as many as possible", he stopped and felt her breath become a little heavier than usual. His words had affected her it seemed. "I probably won't even remember our night after thirty five. And since we started getting things clear let me also say something. I may call you my mistress but that doesn't mean that you are my owner", He got up and looked into her eyes. "You don't want me to touch you, then so be it. But you don't touch me or stare at me as well, got it?" he said with a calm voice that was also in a way mocking her. "Glad we had a chat", And he walked past her. Lea for a moment watched him walk away.

_Nice ass._

Then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to stare at him like that. She started walking with a cold expression that told everyone around her I-am-better. This was something that she hated when she was with Reito; he could so easily take advantage of her words and she would not be able to react. As she started walking up the stairs she wondered why it bothered her him touching her, didn't she actually liked it. A lot. She shook her head. She didn't like thinking these things a lot. Relationships were the worst chapter of her life. She wasn't particularly interested in many men and despite how much she liked sex she had standards as with who she would sleep. The only men that actually kept interesting her for years were Reito and…. Seifer.

_Now why the hell did I think of him?_

She actually hadn't thought of him or talked about him for some time something a little surprising since she did think of him most of the time usually. Nearly as much as Reito. Seifer was also confusing but easier to deal with than Reito. Of course she hadn't seen Seifer for ten years and when she saw him again he didn't seem actually pleased but she knew that as time passed and she existed in his thoughts… he felt her aura… their strange relationship surfaced. Part of her preferred Seifer than Reito because her Seifer was mature and she had the upper hand in their relationship. She did like Seifer and maybe crushed on him in the beginning but as time passed and they spent time together she actually found in him something that even Reito had not given her. She couldn't express it with words but didn't really matter. She still felt it. Part of her wanted to get involved with Tifa so she would spend some time with him. She would make sure he was not used and humiliated. To say the truth though she didn't consider Tifa that bad. She was actually quite timid. And Seifer was a man… and according to Kadaj a man that had needs…. Needs she had awaken. She felt a slight pride in that.

She was ready to open the door as her vision suddenly went black and then her view changed. She was in a familiar place that gave her the creeps. It was dark… and narrow. She pressed herself to see more. To widen her vision. She realized then something was shining and it was kind of bluish. Then it got her.

_Could anyone have…?_

Unfortunately yes. The Ice mage had found where the sealing place was and she would soon proceed to the main hall where the bodies were. She panicked slightly and for a moment she was ready to start crying. Who cry? Lea Lockhart! The Black disaster. The one that had called Kadaj, the Sinner. A mind user. She wouldn't cry.

_Reito's side effects. Maybe it is good that I don't spend too much time with him, I would have gotten soft._

She took a big breath and turned her back. She had to deal with more important things than Reito. Things connected with Seifer. She took a big breath and ran down the stairs and then out of the hotel. She didn't care if Reito would follow her or not and she didn't even give a thought to Kadaj. They were old enough to take care of themselves after all. Both were older than her. As she ran towards the entrance of the forest she looked and at the big watch of Twillight tower. She also had to give an answer to Saix. She had time. She needed half an hour till she would reach the forest and then she would use the flash steps and then she would need fifteen minutes around to kill Riku and his mistress and then she had to carry the body of the girl. She couldn't just leave her lying there bleeding and dirtying the floor. Lea respected the dead like nothing else. She always made sure they would get buried or get burnt even if she did herself. So with the girl she would need around five minutes to exit the forest and then she would continue to use carefully the flash steps and she would leave it outside of the house of that Shuyin where she was staying. The only thing that worried her was if the Ice princess had said anything about her discoveries to any other mage. The inside eye was a technique she couldn't quite control that well. Of course no one but her chosen relatives knew of that and still only Mai knew the limit of her ability the others only had knowledge of the difficulty.

She reached the square and after making sure that no one was looking particularly at her she went through the opening in the wall then in the forest she used a flash move and she was in front of the mansion. She went inside and like it was her own house she moved towards the entrance of the cave.

* * *

Reito entered the room and found there Kadaj standing at the window looking outside. He didn't like him and he was sure he was not liked either. He was aware of the looks that the other man had given him and the killer intent for a moment was visible even to the most oblivious human on earth. He walked and lay on the bed without greeting him or anything. He was a little angry with what he and Lea had just said to each other but controlled himself quite well. He closed his eyes and waited for Lea to come. Kadaj did not even move and for some moments their breaths were only heard and both of them noticed that. Kadaj closed his eyes suddenly and sighed. He went and sat on the chair making intentionally loud noises. Reito aware that something was wrong from the way the other man acted sat up and looked at him. Kadaj acted like he had not noticed the glare he was receiving pressing Reito to open his mouth first to speak. Reito though was as difficult as Lea and perhaps even worse since he was the only human alive that made Lea loose control. Kadaj wanted to learn what type their relationship was. It was more than lust for sure but still. Lea was not really the emotion type of woman. She was the cold logic one who understood extremely well the emotions of others. That was odd of course but Lea was already a legend. Lea was not the one that had friends. She had people of her liking but Kadaj could not comprehend with the idea that the same woman who killed without remorse innocent children and who committed sins without a second thought or to be more exact without regret because she thought all of her actions a lot of times, could actually love. Like perhaps but no not love.

_Still though…here is Reito who affects her that much to the point that she is loosing her self control. There are the chosen cousins and especially Mai that Lea is so close to…like sisters and best friends. And last but not least…Seifer. Someone she can't let go of. Aren't those actually types of love? _

Kadaj signed again and got up to look again out of the window. He was determined to make Reito react. But the man was playing it difficult. He started walking inside the room up and down and then looked at his watch trying to make sure that Reito would get the meaning of this act. The man was clever… maybe even at a prodigy level for a human.

Reito did not react at Kadaj's moves but his heart started beating faster. Then as he looked at the watch Reito remembered that someone was missing and that someone was very important.

_Lea! Why isn't she here yet? Could it be that she left without telling me? She was annoyed so…it does make sense…but still she is not the type to run away…Oh shit! Stupid woman…what the hell has happened?_

Reito started panicking and got up and ran at the window. He tried to feel her aura in the hotel but it was nowhere to be found. Starting to feel despair and then fear he frantically searched the whole town as to where she could be but he felt nothing. Lea always covered her steps and he was afar. How could he find her now? He looked at Kadaj who had a mocking look not feeling the slightest bit of worry over the fact that they didn't know where his mistress was. His hands became fists and it was difficult for him to control enough himself so he wouldn't punch Kadaj to get rid of that annoying expression. He looked outside. It wasn't that he didn't believe in Lea's powers, it was actually these powers that worried him. She was twenty-six and for a mind user that meant Death is always near. She had escaped death way too long and now he would be even more ready to attack. She had a crisis some hours ago and she hadn't rest. Another one now and she would be dead. They were all dead perhaps… according to the power of the crisis. But even if he was able to catch up to her he wouldn't be able to save her this time… she would escape Death once more but the cost would be probably her eyesight or her ability to walk. Lea would prefer death then. Having her live in a world of Darkness or of dependence in a wheelchair was worse than death for her.

_She will kill herself if that happens and…if I don't let her do that…all her enemies or all the people afraid of her will try to kill her fearing that she may return at her formal self. She is not a prodigy… she is so vulnerable right now. Lea…please…don't get involved in a fight!_

Kadaj smiled evilly and looked at Reito with a cold and angry look. Reito turned his attention at him.

_That smile…don't tell me he is enjoying the situation we are in? He knows of the danger she is in. He depends on her. If she is weakened he is as well. If she dies…he dies too. Then…why is he so calm? Like…like… he wants that to happen._

Reito ran out of the door and quickly outside of the hotel and started running around the town. She had to be somewhere there. There was no freaking way he could let her die.

* * *

Lea was carrying the woman's body on her arms. She had actually given her a descent fight. Lea was tired now and she had to face Saix. She had to make sure that she wouldn't show signs of weakness. It was bad enough she was at the point of loosing her control. She felt the power inside her trembling as her inner being was at the point of exhaustion. If she hadn't had that stupid crisis, all these would have not even be tiring. Well, that was wrong. She would be tired but not ready to sleep and without even using magic or ordering herself to sleep. She let a sigh escape and tried to relax as she reached the door of Shuyin's house. She gently placed Rinoa on the ground and closed the younger woman's eyes.

Above all Lea respected the dead. And Death itself.

She looked around to make sure no one saw her. Then giving one last glance at the fallen mage she vanished. She looked at her watch. She could make it on time for her meeting with Saix. Flash moves where her favorite!

She appeared at the place they had their previous meeting. He was like before already there waiting. She used her hand to make sure her hair was fixed on her head as she walked with a cold look on her face kind of slowly. She was mocking him. She wanted to show that she was the one to decide what would happen. And she was.

"Hello Saix", she said and put her right hand on her hips. She looked around and then without a warning in his eyes. It usually worked on men to make them nervous. Saix though did not even move a muscle despite that move of hers. She controlled herself not to smirk. He hadn't become the first member of the council of one of the most powerful magical organization for no reason. She understood the man quite well, maybe very well. Half of the things he said were bluffing and the other half deadly traps that could destroy whatever was caught. That simple thing about him made him one of the few people Lea feared. Because of him she could never have trust that what she was doing really was the best. And right now she was about to say no to something he desired as it seemed a lot.

This time though she was ready to enter his mind. She had to be sure of the situation around her and of Saix's true motives. Since she was young Lea had been taught that being afraid was not a weakness but allowing that to be her master meant her downfall. If she fell now, she'd be terribly hurt from the fall. Maybe even deadly hurt and no Reito could help her then. No Seifer would be able to catch her and no Kadaj to mock her. He would be falling down with her.

"Hello miss Lockhart", he said politely and with a movement of his hand the two guards standing a few feet away from them disappeared.

_That was a flash move? No way!_

Simple humans could not do that. It must be a teleportation spell or something. She noted to herself though to check on Saix's mind about that incident.

"Have you thought about my offer?" he asked since Lea was obviously not willing to be the one starting the conversation. That was why he hated females that much. Especially the kind Lea was. The ambitious unpredictable ones. For once again he thanked fate that he was given such a good mind.

"Yes." She said and turned her head to look around. "It was very tempting I must say but as I was thinking more about it, certain problems appeared", she left a pause of silence to make sure Saix understood perfectly the seriousness of her words. He seemed interested; she decided and thus continued her speech without giving him a reason to speak. "Although people don't know it, I rule Traverse. I am the one that pulls the string in the Lockhart family and I have my ways into the Dalmasca. So killing The Lockharts and the Dalmascas does not benefit me. It actually reduces my power since now I control without people knowing it the two most powerful families. I can create a war if I want. A war that will put at stake all the things your precious organization has worked for all those years…" She stopped to let him register her words. She made a circle of herself looking at the black sky. Little did she know that now looking exactly at that sky the only who could become her enemy and equal had awoken. Thanks to the Black sky she was admiring. She gave him a look and saw he was seriously considering his options. He had after all a pride to think of. He looked at her and she smiled innocently. That fake innocence made his blood boil. Lea was sure that the man didn't even doubt that she would accept. To be honest if Reito hadn't come and told her what he did, Saix could have some hopes but… Reito came. There was though another thing that troubled Lea to the point of insanity: Mai's call. If things were really like that then that meant that what she said to Saix was not true. She had to be very careful. "However…." she started and this word caught his attention immediately. "I would very much like to have power in Twilight town. I find that town way more interesting and welcoming than Traverse that I come from", His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Lea had done a lot of talking and she didn't like that. She would have him speak this time just so she would not seem like that one that ignored the presence of others. This was the greatest mistake someone who was half living according to the law and half living in the underworld could do. It could get her killed or even worse humiliated.

"When you say power in Twilight, you mean like the power the Symphony of Legends has?" he asked. Just so he would speak. He already knew what she was about to say.

"I was actually thinking ruling the Symphony Of Legends with you", she clarified. She didn't add another word and waited for him to speak, to see his reaction to her desire one that she had year now. She wanted power in Twilight town. If she was about to lose the family as a backup, she had to make sure she and her followers would have another support in a place where the family could not capture them. And there were only two places available for that. Hollow Bastion the second most powerful magical place and Twilight town the most powerful city in terms of magic. Traverse was a far third one.

"Why would I want this to happen?" he asked. She had expected herself to answer that question but not him to ask so bluntly. It worked for her in the end.

"Well… right now despite being the first member of the council you don't control the organization and neither organizations like the healing society. You can't deny the importance of that", she started. This could mean the importance of the healing society or the importance of his lack of power. It was his choice how he would react to it. "On the other hand, with my connections and my family's connections we can have everyone under our power without them realizing that we control them."

"Why not do this alone Lea?" he asked bluntly. It was the day he asked like that it seemed.

"I can't do it alone since I do not hold enough power in the council. You have that power and with our minds combined we will achieve what I told you", she walked closer to him and their faces were close enough to touch. "I want you to know that I admire you a lot. I admire your ways a lot", she whispered intentionally so he would feel her hot breath on his face. The man raised a hand that rested on her neck.

"Deal", he said and without Lea seeing it coming, his other hand came to her face and pushed her closer to him. Lea had never felt a more disgusting taste of human when he forced his tongue inside her mouth and out of instinct she kissed back. She entered his mind seeing it as a chance to find him defenseless. They broke apart and Lea turned her back and left without giving another look at him.

As she had always suspected Saix was gay and above all hated and was disgusted by women. He used all his will power to kiss her and she did the same. She went to the closest café and went to the bathroom. There fortunately alone let the water flow and washed her mouth of that awful taste. She never thought a man could taste that bad. And he kissed awfully. Compared to Reito and her previous lovers at least.

"Did you enjoy your _meeting_?" a male voice asked from behind and Lea saw a very familiar face in the mirror.

* * *

Thank you all for reading this. I'd really appreciate your opinion and you encouragement (so give then to me)!

Also I have to tell you that this fic and Cursed Fate are going to be my last KH stories (I am not even sure if I will finish them) but I have a notebook with some KH yaoi plots that I am offering to anyone who would be interested to listen to them.

So you have a reason more to review, if you are interested. Otherwised send me a PM or e mail or tell me something from LJ (you can find my page there)

Even if you don't want to do that but you know of a person that would perhaps be interested please tell them.

Lastly, I am looking for a **co author** for my other story **"Cursed Fate"** and since more people read this one I say it here as well. If anyone is interested, **please** tell me.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer:Everything belongs to Square Enix.

Sorry for the delay everyone. Hope you will enjoy this too. Special thanks to my beta!

* * *

Title:The Wounds Of The Broken Mirror Will Forever Remain On Those Who Chose To See

Namine was sitting on the floor with Roxas standing next to her. Three hours had passed since the healers had closed the doors and started their magic on her brother. Olette had stayed with her for the first two hours and then asked if she could go to her house and have a shower and change clothes. Namine didn't even answer at that. She was that lost in her thoughts. She didn't have any idea of what was going to happen. She had and the problem with the other mind user: Lea Lockhart. Honestly, if she had to face her now, she would have killed her. There was no way she would hesitate. The truth was that for the first time in her mind the idea of winning that damned war that stole her brother was appealing to her. She wanted at first to win so she would survive and live happily ever after with her brother thinking she had to survive so Cloud would not be left alone. But that was then. Now her priorities had changed: she wanted the prize.

If she won… No! When she won, she would have her brother back in full health.

She looked at the door. That was what she was going to do unless the doctors did a miracle. But Namine doubted about that. She knew that life was unfair and years now she had seen life being very cruel to her. Well, it was her turn now to be the cruel one. She would kill them all. She would use Roxas the best way she could. Yes, she would use him as all the previous 'great' and 'terrible' mistresses of his, had. For he was a summon, a tool, and when it came to her brother's life, dignity and respect meant nothing. The ones who sacrifice go up and achieve their goals. For everything you gain, you pay a price, she decided. And Namine for her brother's life would pay with her dignity and ideals.

"Here" a soft female voice said and a warm hand touched her shoulder. She looked up and saw Kairi handing her a cup of coffee. "It helps in situations like this." she added and went to sit next to Sora.

"Like you could know what this is." she muttered under her breath and without drinking a bit placed the cup on the floor next to her and Roxas's legs. She hardly even noticed him.

"I lost my mother when I was eight" Kairi said to Namine.

"So? You want me to feel pity and sympathy for you?" Namine mocked her. Roxas opened his eyes and looked at her back curiously.

"I perfectly know what you are going through." she finished and got up. "I will go home and see if Rinoa has finished with her visit. I want to know if we can stop this awful war."

"Hn" was the only reply heard. Kairi touched Sora, pulled him and they left leaving for the first time after hours Namine and Roxas alone. With what Kairi had said there was one problem more now. Even if the was a way to prevent this war, Namine didn't want that anymore. She wanted to win! And she really didn't even give a thought about Roxas's and all the others' fate.

The door opened, a woman with black hair came out. Namine got up and went close to her. Although she already knew what the woman was about to tell her, having heard it in her mind immediately. "Miss Strife, unfortunately the condition of your brother has not changed. We fear that actually he may never wake up." she said bluntly.

"Will he die?" Namine asked, not crying or giving in any emotion. She had to know how much time he had.

"Most likely not but life like this is not tolerable, Nor for the victim neither' she paused and looked at the girl 'for the relatives." she went closer to Namine and held her face in her hands forcing Namine to look in her eyes. "You are way too young Miss Strife to do that. With your signature we can easily free him from the prison he is in his own body and you from the life-hell his condition would offer you." she caressed her cheek and Namine pushed her away.

"Don't even dare to hurt my brother" she hissed at the woman and without asking anyone's permission she went in the room to see him. He lay there unconscious. She went closer and took his hand in her own; he was cold. She wanted to cry, she felt she had to cry yet she couldn't. No matter how important this man was for her she was unable to cry for his sake. She squeezed his hand and whispered to him. "I will save you, my brother. Hang in there." she got up and she left out of the room. The woman was there with Roxas and she was saying something to him. Without talking or anything she grabbed Roxas from his elbow and pulled him out to the exit of the hospital.

They walked without a word with Roxas a step behind. Once or twice he had tried to walk next to her but Namine went faster so she would be the one in front. She even glared at him the second time he attempted that. After that Roxas just followed. He felt inside him that a big change was about to come. That change was not Cloud's death. He stole a glance at Namine's back. He wondered how many changes would be born from her brother's absence. There was also the issue with Lockhart and Kadaj. All the warriors had to be informed.

He suddenly smiled at the thought that he may never have to fight again. He would live again or at least go on to the world of the dead. Both were fine with him although he preferred to live. He would either live with Namine or die and be with his friends and _her_. He looked again at Namine. Why was he afraid that she would become a danger? A threat?

They reached the house and Namine went into the house slamming the door behind her. At the last moment Roxas was able to hold it so he wouldn't be left behind. He came in and looked around to see where Namine was. She was in the kitchen preparing something to eat. Unlike the previous times she cooked, she didn't ask him what he wanted and she didn't talk to him. It was understandable considering what happened to her the previous hours but still, her stance frightened Roxas. He would have expected her to cry and hug him or cry alone in her room but she just had an emotionless face and did things like cooking, ignoring him. It was strange and unexpected, he decided. Some more moments passed and Namine finished cooking and put the fried eggs she prepared in one plate. Then she took it and sat down opposite of Roxas. She silently started eating pausing only to get up and take water from the fridge. Not bearing the silence any longer he spoke.

"Namine…" he started but Namine's glare stopped him.

"Mistress" she corrected in a cold voice. Roxas looked at her with a strange expression something between sadness and anger.

"But the relationship we have is not of a mistress and a servant." he stated calmly.

"The relationship changed." she said and kept on eating. He didn't continue although he knew that eventually he would be announced the new rules and this time they would not be improvising of an overprotective brother but decisions of an angry mistress. She finished and washed the plate and her glass. She took a big breath. "Come." he got up and followed. They entered her room where Namine crossed her arms and looked at him upside down. "I want to win." she said.

Roxas closed his eyes and held his breath. Then, as he realized what she said, he felt like they had allowed him to breath after so many years of being in a water prison just to let him taste hope and then crash it by sending him down in his wet dungeon. He looked at her with a pained expression. Could she really do that to him?

In her eyes he saw something that he had never seen before. Cruelty and ambition. She had turned into a human who would do anything to gain what she wanted. She would give away all her morals, all her humanity, all her compassion to have what she wanted.

"May I ask what you wish to gain, my mistress?" he asked.

"Don't you know?" she asked in reply mocking him. "Hn! And I considered you clever enough to find that." she signed. "My brother back. My life back." she said. "The life you poisoned by coming into it, _summon_." she added, intentionally emphasizing the way she called him.

"I see." he said. "Mistress" he bowed to her.

"Remember that. My goal is to win. Tomorrow I want to learn the summoning spell in case I need it. And I want to learn ways and strategies of attacking. From now on… we will start attacking. The sooner I kill the remaining mistresses, the better. I will leave Olette last or pro last since that is what I promised. The first one I kill though will be Dalmasca and that Leon or whatever his name is." Even at the thought of them her blood boiled. She remembered her brother and how happy he was for meeting him.

_Hypocrite!_

She changed into her nightclothes without talking to Roxas who had turned his back as she changed remembering Cloud's rules. She laid down closing the lights and closed her eyes being drifted in sleep.

_Dream_

_Namine was alone when she opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the dark place she had been when she met the brown haired woman. She looked around to see if she could see her again. Then she realized something was different. There was a road in front of her. A road that went ahead and not backwards. And it was a road that had no crossroads. There were turns but she didn't have a say about whether she would have to turn or not. She tried to get off the road but as she went to do that her foot instead of having something beneath to support it fell. Namine let a cry as at the last time she held from the edge of the road. With a lot of effort she managed to get back in the safety of the road. She looked beneath her. It was really dark and really deep. There was no other way but the one planned out in front of her. Hesitant she took some steps ahead and after some moments she relaxed and walked but there was a problem. _

_No matter how much she walked, how fast she walked the first turn did not come any closer. But there was also a feeling around the place that made her feel insecure. She wanted to leave and no matter how desperately she tried she wouldn't reach the turn. She stopped tired and looked down as she tried to catch her breath. As she raised her head to continue her way, she found a figure in front of her. It was like a ghost. It didn't have legs, It floated. It wore a brown cloak that hid the figure completely. As she kept staring at it Namine had a feeling of terror growing inside her. She noticed then that in its back the figure had an axe. She took a big breath and shook her head. She looked again but she found the thing even more terrifying this time because he held the axe now and seemed prepared to strike. She held her breath but did not dare to close her eyes. The figure did nothing so Namine took a step to get a way of it. But the figure was still in front of her. This time even closer, nearly touching her. She was suddenly cold. She kept on walking looking at the figure as she did so. It just moved along with her always being in front of her. She started running but again when she stopped tired she looked up to see it again. The thing went closer and closer till she was able to see two yellow eyes under the cloak and a darkness surrounding them. She looked frozen inside those yellow holes that had no white like normal eyes do._

No matter how much you ran, you will never get away mind user. You will always have me in front of you, ready to strike. The moment I see you vulnerable. The moment you look away from me, you head will be mine. This is your life from now on. An endless road with no changes and no companions but me.

_End of Dream._

Naminer woke up frightened. She had sweat all over her. She looked around to see Roxas lying on the floor with his back turned at her. She took a lot of breaths and slapped herself. Yet, nothing could calm her down. She got up to go to the kitchen to drink water. There she opened the fridge and picked up the bottle of water. She opened it and let the water in her mouth. As she finished and put the bottle in the fridge and closed it, her gaze went outside. Two yellow eyes with no white were looking at her. She screamed only to find that what scared her was a cat who was equally scared as she was, by her scream. Roxas ran in the kitchen his weapons in hand, ready to fight.

"Namine…" he started but stopped remembering the changes. "Mistress, I mean, what happened?"

"Nothing… just a cat." she said and walked past him to go to bed. He stayed for a moment there watching her leave. He deactivated his swords and after that looked outside. He heard a cat.

"So she finally saw what being strong means?" he wondered aloud. "She saw the dream." he looked again outside and heard the cat again. "She better get used to it for it is going to be her companion in sleep till her dying day." He walked towards her room and then got in. She lay with her eyes closed but he knew she was not sleeping. She was way too scared to do that and because of her sudden change of character she refused to ask.

_She__ has to find the answers she seeks alone then._

He lay down and with his back turned at her he slept again leaving her alone in the dark. To Namine this was the cruelest thing had Roxas ever done to her from the day the met. Crueler than poisoning her life for she knew it wasn't his damn fault. But her despair and anger were stronger than logic and the voice. called consciousness, was buried now deep down her soul beneath overflowing emotions and instincts.

To Roxas this was the beginning of their new relationship. In contrast with her, he played this role years now and had no problem playing it again.

* * *

Seifer went into the kitchen of the apartment he was living in with Tifa. There Tifa was sitting reading a book and taking notes from it since there was a notebook with things written in and a pen. He went closer in order to see what she was studying so focused on it and didn't even notice his presence. Or at least she didn't pay attention to his presence. She didn't move or flinch or anything despite him being above her head. He looked at her writing. It was about mind users. He had actually expected her to do a research since she had to face one and had another one in her family. He nearly pitied Tifa for her bad luck. She wasn't bad... just raised to treat others badly. And after the realization of who her enemy was, she had even started being polite to him.

"Will you go away of me?" she snapped angrilly at him and hit him at his arm.

Or sometimes at least.

"Sorry mistress." he said. Part of him wanted to ask what she thought of doing but he didn't really care. It wasn't after all something that would concern him a lot. He would fight and either win or "die" and in a decade be summoned again by another Lockhart or another Dalmasca or a mage that had him as her most suitable. He smiled at the thought of having an inexperience little girl for a mistress. How long had it been since he had one like that? Around two hundred years. He certainly wanted a change from the Lockharts and the Dalmascas. He sat on a chair and looked around the kitchen and after that at Tifa who was again lost in her reading. But life is not fair and you don't usually get what you want especially if you are a being trapped between life and death. He certainly would not get the change he wanted. He knew his luck.

"Seifer... Go out and buy the things I have on this list." Tifa said and handed him a piece of paper she had under the book. He looked at it.

1. Potatoes

2. Carrots

3. Spaghetti

4. 2 Stakes

5. Apples

6. Salt

7. Oil

8. Sugar

"Will I go alone or will we go together?" he asked as he got up with the list in one hand.

She raised her head and looked at him. "Why, do you need help to buy the eight simple things I asked?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, I don't." he answered. She nodded. He was about to open the door when Tifa called him again.

"Don't you need money?" she asked him and handed him her wallet. "I trust you won't buy anything unnecessary." she added mockingly.

"I don't need it. I can create money if I want' he said but took the wallet from her hand" but this will save me the trouble.' he added and got out of the house closing the door behind. Last decade he was the one that asked Lea for money and she had said "You are the Cross Of Creation, you can create money if you need."

He walked slowly enjoying the city. It was a nice place that Squall liked a lot. He had a lot of memories of that place. Seifer though didn't. He had stayed more at Traverse Town during the wars and apart from his stay with Lea he rarely saw the town during the day. Lea being an exception of a Lockhart visited the town with him memorizing it. He knew she didn't do it for him but it was a change nevertheless. A good change. A rare change.

He decided to go to a grand super market where he could find everything apart from the stakes that Tifa wanted especially from certain butchery. Seifer didn't really mind that. He got more time to enjoy by himself. A false freedom. But a nice break from his usual slavery so there was no need to really get in the meaning of it. He could just enjoy it. He went in and started searching for the departments he had to visit. After twenty minutes he finished and was patiently waiting to pay. In front of him was a lady with a baby boy in her arms. Behind him was an old man with grey hair and moustache. Eventually his time to pay came and he silently gave the exact amount of money needed and waited for the employee to put the things into two bags. He muttered a thank you and left. He looked around and started walking towards the butchery. As he walked his gaze fell on a familiar head with long black hair. He went silently closer to the head only to find Lea there with a black haired man being very close to her. Not that Seifer cared but... it was intriguing seeing Lea as someone else but a mistress. Seeing her as a human. The word didn't stick well with Seifer. Suddenly Lea turned her head and looked right into his eyes. The man she was with looked at where she was looking at and his gaze for a moment showed a slight hint of jealously and surprise which quickly was covered by an emotionless mask. Lea seemed tired but strangely refreshed at the same time. She smiled at him and walked towards him.

"Hello Seifer" she said. The man followed her immediately. "Is my niece anywhere near as well? I haven't seen her for quite a long time." she paused and looked at Seifer. "But the same goes for you too"

"No, mistress is not here. I was sent to do some shopping." he answered with a serious tone. She looked tired and older. It didn't go unnoticed to Lea that Seifer examined her from the top to the bottom.

"It was nice seeing you Seifer again." she said and touched his shoulder with her right hand. "Good luck to the fights that are in front of you" she said in a low but strong at the same time voice while she caressed with her finger his skin. "Let's go Reito" she added and looked to the man. Even to Seifer who wasn't really a person that knew of relationships and stuff like that, seeing Lea and Reito together made him think they went well with each other. This thought gave him a strange feeling in the stomach but he dismissed it immediately. He didn't really have a right to make these thoughts for one of his previous mistresses that had given him a victory. Because Lea was really the one that gave the victory to Seifer not vice versa as it happened with all the previous ones. He turned his back and continued his way towards the butchery. He went in and luckily there was no one else there so he quickly finished his shopping. As he returned he thought of Lea again and of what he should say to Tifa about that meeting. He wasn't sure how she would react to this and he wasn't really surprised she was in Twilight. He actually had felt her presence in the room. It was his fault for believing it was his imagination. And he had her blouse which was something she didn't manage to take when they came into the house. She was there... She really was there in the same house, in the same room he was. This nearly made him feel happy. It was like from time to time she was thinking of him if she spent time in that apartment.

Seifer opened the front door and went into the house. Tifa was still in the kitchen studying. He went in and let the things he had jus bought on the table. He really was supposed to say something to her about Lea.

"You surely took your time." she said without giving him a look.

"There were a lot of people waiting to pay" Seifer said as an explanation and placed all the shopping in the fridge. As he was doing it, he was trying to convince himself to talk to Tifa about Lea but even when he finished and Tifa allowed him to go to his room he said nothing. He didn't want to say something and strangely he wasn't forced by any inner power to do so. It was like the curse was weakening. But Seifer didn't give that a second thought. They were dangerous thoughts after all. He stayed in the dark room and felt is aura. The same chilling aura Lea had. This room had taken after her it seemed.

* * *

Lea with Reito behind entered the hotel. She entered the elevator and there as she and Reito waited to go up they talked for the first time after they had accidentally met with Seifer.

"So... how come you spoke to Seifer? I thought you wanted to avoid him?" he asked and looked away.

"Don't tell me you started getting possessive again, Reito darling?" she asked in a way that said that the answer was obvious. Reito didn't answer he just refused to look at her. She smiled at him and touched his shoulder. "I don't really know Reito. I just couldn't help it but talk to him, feel his presence. This man was important to me and my resistance abilities now are not the best. I am tired..." she said. The door opened and they went out.

"Hardly a man you know." he pointed out. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"He is a man. He laughs, he loves, he hopes, he tries, he hurts, he needs, he fears, he cries and we all do the same things so we are not that different. Me and him, him and you." she snapped at him angrily. "Saying hardly a man is prejudice."

Reito was taken aback but soon came into his senses again. "Wait a second Lea. Since when are you into stuff like that? Racism, prejudice, respect towards others. Let me remind you that you have been very, _very_ cruel to people calling them in front of their face names that you knew hurt them. And since you want to do that conversation hear this as well. Someone that can't spend not even an hour entertaining himself can't laugh in reality, isn't able to love, doesn't have anything to hope for since he has admitted defeat in life, he tries because he is ordered to do so which means he isn't into it, he hurts only those that he is ordered to hurt whether he wants that or not so it doesn't count, he doesn't have needs, there is nothing to fear since he can't die or lose people he loved since the only ones that are his people can't die as well and he doesn't cry because he has admitted defeat. The only thing I can give him is that he is hurt because of his stupid fate but even for that he is at fault.'

"You are not better than me Reito. And for your information he laughed with me in reality, he loves in a weird way me and that stupid cat that calls himself Squall Leonheart, he hopes for a brighter future deep inside, he tries for the mistresses he likes, he hurts those who give him pain even if they are his own mistresses he finds a way to hurt them, he needs freedom and someone to support him like everyone else, he fears the darkness that there is ahead of him and maybe even me and he cries inside for the condition he is in and for everything that he has lost. I agree that he is at fault for what happened to him but that does not give you the right to call him hardly a man." she said angrily and some people around looked at them. When she noticed them she put the best smile she could offer on her.

"Did we disturb you? We are deeply sorry." she said and grabbed Reito from the elbow. "Don't mind us, continue your day and enjoy your stay at Twillight town." she said enthusiastically in a fake voice to those who knew her.

"Yes we are. Continue your day" Reito said and they quickly left holding each other by the hand. Lea took out of her pocket her the keys. They entered the room still holding each other. Kadaj looked at both of them and half smiled. Lea let go of Reito and pushed Kadaj who came to stand in front of her. She put out her clothes and wore a short comfortable blouse and a short.

"Be quiet. I need to rest." she said and slept. This time though her sleep was different.

"She really needs to eat more. She is way too skinny." Reito muttered.

"True but not less attractive" Kadaj said.

Suddenly Lea's cell phone rang. Reito looked at Kadaj and Kadaj at Reito. Before Kadaj could do a thing, Reito pulled Kadaj back and grabbed the phone which was still ranging. He picked it.

"Hello." he said.

"Who the hell are you?" a female voice said angrily. Reito looked at the screen.

_Lockhart Mai_

"Shit" he muttered under his breath. "Um... Miss Lockhart I can explain..." he started.

"Explain what? Where is my cousin? If you have dared to lay a finger on my Lea... you will have to face the whole Lockhart family... and believe nobody likes that." There was a silence where Reito didn't know whether he should speak or not. When he was ready to do so, Mai started again. "You are a Dalmasca group? Because I am sure that one person, a mere mortal could never ever beat Lea."

"Miss Lockhart. Lea is fine. I am a…" he started but for a moment paused since he didn't quite know how to describe himself. "ally of Lea" he decided although they were more than that on his side. He glanced at Lea. He wasn't sure though if he was something more to her.

"What's your name?" she asked in a calm voice.

"Reito." he said.

"Don't you have a surname?" she asked as Lea had done when they met.

"Yes of course I do, miss Lockhart. Ichihara. My surname is Ichihara."

"I see. Is Lea near? I need to speak to her." she said.

"Well… she is but she is resting and she had an extremely tiring day so could you wait for an hour or two to call you back?"

"Actually no. I am along with Tom, Selberto and Keigo at the twilight Station and we want to come to where Lea is." she said.

"We are at a hotel right now."

"Name?"

"Umm… it is one of the hotels owned by the Fon Tarlien family. I think its name is Anwin."

"I see. Well in 20 minutes we are there. Don't wake Lea up and don't tell the summon that we are coming except if he is hearing our conversation" she said and hang up.

"Ok:" he said to the closed phone. He closed and placed on the table where it was before he picked it. He turned at Kadaj.

"I will go for a walk… don't wake Lea up." he said and left the room.

* * *

Mai and the other three of her group went out of the station. The three men were holding the two bags they had. 'I'll go find a taxi' she said and went down the road. The three men stay there waiting for their female companion to come with the needed results of the search.

One of them had long black hair till his shoulders. His skin was pale making him seem like he was sick. He had dark black eyes that could show any emotion needed without really feeling it. He was extremely skinny and wore a jean and a purple shirt. His expression was one of a smiling person but that smile could only fool those who didn't know and scare those who did his true nature. He could easily be described as weird and scary. He was in nearly every possible way both. His aura was remarkable since it wasn't as chilling as his favorite's cousin's but could freak out someone and even crash him physically because of its strength. He seemed to be in his thirties.

The other one was a young boy that could easily be considered still a high schooler. He had black hair that reached the middle of his neck that fell into his eyes as he hadn't cut them properly. Not like the other Lockharts he had blue eyes at the color of the deep blue sea. He wore a black jean and a leather jacket on. He wasn't particularly muscular but he was one of the best swordsmen and one of the best gunners beaten only by his elder sister. His aura and magical abilities weren't fully developed and molded but he had an excellent level despite his age. He possessed psionics powers or as other considered people with his abilities mind flyers. His aura was a silent one that could not be sensed easily even when he wasn't hiding it and nearly impossible to detect when he didn't want to be found.

The last one was a man of middle height generally but shorter than his other two male companions. He had short black hair and black eyes. He wore a black pair of trousers and a black shirt. He wore a flawless emotionless mask and he was the kind of person that people call cruel and without feelings. He was muscular compared to his cousins and a master magician when it came to curses and summons. He was a man of few words and whose words only fools would take lightly. He was neither good, nor bad. He managed to survive despite the enemies he had by making himself too valuable to eliminate. In his world intrigue and double dealing were necessary, and no one played them better than Tom Lockhart. He was a good fighter with the sword and his body but still not something exceptional. He was though by every way one of the most dangerous men in Traverse town.

The one thing these three have in common was a surname, for they were Lockhart Selberto, Lockhart Keigo and Lockhart Tom. The three men of the five member team that followed Lea Lockhart's orders.

"I found one" Mai yelled and these three walked towards her. Mai Lockhart, Lea's best friend and favorite cousin. She was the second younger member of the five but the oldest in the group that she and Lea formed eight years ago. She was shorter than her companions but thanks to her shoes she was at the same height as Tom. She had black hair that reached right under her shoulders. She was quite small and not really skinny like Selberto and Lea. She's slim with a lot of curves in her body making her very attractive actually. She had the typical black eyes that in her were more alive and animated than all the other Lockhart's eyes put together. She was a master alchemist and one of the best tacticians. Her aura was strong but not scary if she didn't intend to scare someone. At first glance she seemed weak and unable to fight but she was a karate master and a powerful mage that specialized in lightning type magic. She played the violin professionally as well.

They entered the taxi after giving their two bags to the driver who put them at the boot of the car. They entered and sat. Mai smiling gave the instructions to the driver as to where they wanted to go and for ten minutes no one spoke. When they reached their destination Mai got out and stretched. Reito who was waiting at the entrance of the hotel run up to her. She looked at him and raised and eyebrow.

"Reito?" she asked to confirm her suspicions.

"Hello miss Lockhart." he said politely. She walked towards him and then around him eyeing him from up and down like she wanted to search for something or to check something. The three men looked at her and then at the man.

"Mai" Selberto called her.

"Mmm" she answered still looking at Reito who felt really uncomfortable. He knew all these people since he spend his days following Lea from behind and knew all their powers and weaknesses. Still though he wasn't sure that Lea had spoken of him.

_She must have… from the way she is looking at me like she is examining me._

"Do we know the guy? Keigo asked.

"In a way we do." she said and looked at the boy. "Or at least I do. His name is Ichihara Reito" she said.

"Oh" the three men said at once looked at him like they were examining him too. Reito blushed slightly but shook his head to get back to his previous state.

"Excuse me miss" the driver asked Mai. "Do you want me to bring your luggage into the hotel, wait for someone or can I leave?" he asked. Mai turned at him and smiled alluringly.

"No, thank you. We'll manage from here" she said as she gave him the money. The driver got into his taxi waved at her goodbye as she did the same and left. Mai turned to the four men to see if they had made a progress. As she suspected they didn't. Her three cousins were still eyeing Reito making circles of him. Reito stood in the middle with a face that showed he was not comfortable. Apparently meeting Lea's relatives had a lot of importance to him.

"Boys!" she called.

"Mmm" they answered together. Reito didn't answer as he didn't think himself included to the call.

"We go up" she said. "Lea is there with the summon" she said. The three men nodded and gave Reito the bags and walking next to each other entered the hotel. Mai laughed at that and looked at Reito who picked the bags and waited for Mai to walk so he would walk last. Mai though took one bag from his hand and started walking with him next to her.

"May I ask something Reito?"

"Of course miss Lockhart" he answered.

"Call me Mai" she said. "Did Lea have a typical tiring day?"

"No, she hadn't. She had a crisis" he confessed.

"And you were her savior. That's why you are showing yourself to us, right?"

"Well partly yes but… there is way too much risk in what Lea does right now for me to stay in the shadows."

"I see" she said as they entered the elevator. "These idiot cousins of mine will be going up and down the hotel trying to find Lea on their own but no matter how much they try, they will not detect her. She never leaves herself uncovered. Eventually they will get tired and call me to pick them up." she said as they exited the elevator and went to Lea's room.

* * *

Kairi was walking with Sora next to her trying to find Rinoa; she was half an hour late so they decided to walk around the place. Kairi couldn't feel Rinoa and feared for the worst. Sora next to her seemed tired and like her, anxious about the results. The worst came when as they were walking, they found a man with blond hair and tainted skin walking with an empty look. Kairi went closer to Sora, scared at the sight of the man who seemed to be insane. He walked closer to her. Kairi and Sora went a step back. If things got ugly, Sora would have to unsheathe.

"She is dead." he said and pointed at the end of the road. Kairi started running at the direction he showed with Sora just behind her, leaving the poor man alone stare in the darkness. When she reached the end she saw in front of a house's entrance the lifeless body of Rinoa. She went closer and touched her.

She seemed peaceful. Kairi let a tear fall and looked at Sora.

"Find the man and take him to the Healing Society. I will bring Rinoa there to have her checked and everything." she said to her warrior. Sora nodded and left. Kairi looked at the sky… it was dawn. She knew who did this. As she knew that Rinoa had found something great enough, for her to be killed by Lea Lockhart.


	17. Chapter 17

Hello! Special thanks to my beta for editing this. Hope you will enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Kingdome Hearts belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

Title: His Stolen Life, Her Fear, Her Guilt, Their Pain: The Paradise of Betrayal

Mai entered the room with Reito to find Kadaj in the room laying next to a sleeping Lea on the bed. Mai eyed the man with a deadly glare. If only looks could kill… maybe the world would be a better place and the human race nearly extinct. Kadaj sat up looking at the woman who was for sure a Lockhart. Reito smiled cruelly at the man for seeing him in the situation he was in and for not warning him about it. He slowly got up and went to sit in the armchair of the room. Mai gave him a fake smile and went to Lea. She put out her shoes and lay next to her while Reito sat on a chair and for a moment there was a complete silence in the room due to the unwillingness of the conscious people to talk. Kadaj, being the one that didn't even know who exactly the woman was and due to her being equally strong with Reito at blocking her mind, was the one who wanted to ask. He suspected she was Mai Lockhart but again she could have been another Lockhart member that came to pay a visit. He eyed Reito who smiled faintly and looked at him mockingly, happy to bring him in the current condition he was in. Kadaj looked back with a gaze full of hate and swearing inside him that he would take revenge. Mai looked at both men not failing to notice the tension between them. She took out her phone and looked at it. She shook her head and let the cell phone on the small table next to the bed.

"In three" she said and showed three fingers with her left hand, "Two" she now had two finger up, "One" one finger up and the cell phone rang. Reito let a small laugh at the scene while Kadaj raised an eyebrow preparing himself for more surprises. "Hello" she said.

"Hey Mai" three male voices said at once.

"Hello boys." she answered. "How are you?" she asked.

"Lost" Selberto said in a dramatic tone that made Mai laugh.

"Don't laugh!" Keigo said angrily.

"Ok, I stop." she said and took a big breath to calm down. "Where are you?" she asked.

"On the pre last floor." Tom said.

"We have been going up and down but not even the slightest hint of Lea." Selberto said.

"Even I can't detect anything Mai" Keigo said dramatically although there was a feeling of pride in his voice for Lea's power.

"We are at the last floor. Room 927" she said and hang up. There was again silence in the room. This time though Kadaj's control wasn't that strong and broke it.

"You mean there are more to come?" he asked.

Mai looked at Reito and Reito at Mai, and then they all looked at Kadaj together. "Oh I forgot to mention it to you that Lea's _chosen _relatives are coming to stay with us" Reito said.

_We've come to be too many in the room. Not enough space and no private time with Lea since _he _came and now with _them _this will be even more difficult._

Mai smiled at Kadaj with a fake smile. "I am Mai Lockhart." she said and a knot was heard from the door. Reito was ready to get up and open but a movement of Mai's hand told him not to as she went to the door. She opened it and three men came in. "This is Selberto Lockhart." she said and pointed to the elder man of the three. "Then there is Tommy and the kid here is our youngest member Keigo Lockhart" she introduced. "Boys, this is Kadaj, Lea's warrior"

"Oh the summon" Keigo said.

"That's rude Keigo" Mai, Selberto and Tom said at once immediately.

"At least in front of him" Tom added and Keigo smiled at that.

"Sorry" he said to them. Lea let out a moan which grabbed everyone's attention and turned side. Selberto went close to her, kneeled next her and put his face close to her. He smiled and removed the hair falling from her face. Keigo touched his shoulder. Selberto looked at him and got up. The young boy took his place and looked at Lea. Then he got up and stood between Selberto and Mai. Tom just looked at Lea for a moment and then at Kadaj along with Mai, Selberto, Keigo and Reito. It was a moment of awkwardness for Kadaj, for he suddenly had four people united against him and between him and Lea. And the worst they were all able to counter attack mind attacks. He looked specifically at Keigo.

_That boy…_

"Ah…" was heard by a sleeping Lea. They all looked again at the black haired woman who started breathing heavily and shaking, letting out cries every minute. Everyone went closer to her with Mai and Selberto kneeling next to her while Keigo lay next to her caressing her. Tom had a terrified expression that tried to cover it unsuccessfully. Reito was above Mai and Selberto while Kadaj had just got up from his seat and seemed to be in pain. This continued for ten minutes till Lea woke up covered in sweat taking big breaths doing her best to regain her self control. No one spoke waiting for her to show that she was fine. Lea sat up and hugged her waist. With her shoulders she wiped out the tears on her face and fell again on the bed in the position she was before. Then she looked around.

"Hey Lea" the other Lockharts said. She sat up again and Keigo hugged her from behind.

"You okay?" he asked. She turned her head to face him and touched his hands and then turned fully her body to hug him back.

"Yeah." She said. "You? Has the university answered to your application? Have you gotten in? If not, I can go arrange it." she said.

"There is no need for that. I am in Lea. But thanks for caring." he said as they broke apart. She caressed his hair and then his cheek.

"I' m glad." she said and turned to face her other relatives. "Mai, Selberto" she said and then raised her head to Tom who was leaning on a wall. "Tommy"

"Hey girl" Selberto said and pulled Mai back with his right hand while hugging Lea with the other. "You okay?"

Before Lea was able to answer, Mai was on her feet and hit Selberto's skinny shoulder. "Idiot… she just had the _dream _after two whole years of not seeing it, do you think she would be fine because she saw us?" Selberto glared at her. "Don't overestimate your importance Selberto" she said and pulled him away. "Lea…" she said and hugged the elder woman.

"Your importance to me is more than enough to make me cheer up." She told them as she and Mai broke apart. "All of you together but and as individuals."

"All right that's enough of greetings. We need to talk about business Lea." Tom said and approached his relatives. He looked at Reito and Kadaj. "You go out"

"Don't give orders Tommy!" Lea said calmly and smiled at Tom. "Reito, Kadaj please go for a walk or something… in half an hour I am sure we will have finished." The two men nodded and giving a look at Tom they exited the room.

"I don't understand why you are polite with them." Tom stated a little before they closed the door. Lea got out of bed and reached to take her clothes.

"Being polite is part being diplomatic." Lea said as she was undressing. "I don't need to push people to their limits nor make them feel inferior." she added as she was dressing.

"But they are inferior. One is a _summon_ and the other is a mere wizard." he said showing how little respect he held for them. Lea, fully dressed now, went close to him and touched his shoulders.

"You and Reito are a lot alike in some matters." she said cryptically. Tom gave her a confused look and after a moment blushed slightly as she pressed her body against him slightly.

"I think Tom is more jealous than he admits to be" Keigo said with a smile.

"I think Keigo is more curious than he should be." Tom said in response causing Selberto and Mai let out a laugh.

"All right now, let's get to business. That's why Kadaj and Reito were kicked out after all." she said and looked at Mai and Selberto.

Selberto looked at Mai who nodded and took a big breath before start explaining. "Things got quite messy at home" he said for a start. "I think we are not found out but your long absence is questioned and because you had not shown signs of life for a week or so we were questioned. There were always some Lockharts that did not like you and few that actually despise you and they are trying years now to weaken you. They grasped the opportunity this time. It is bad enough that you are the first winner that had survived to see a second war and that is also very difficult to understand. We were mind attacked and although we were okay the fact that we were not open rose more suspicions. Everyone knows Mai, Keigo and I are connected with you and it is suspected that you are also connected with Tom. We were attacked more than once and the fact that we never left one another's side made things worse for the situation." he said and paused. Mai then took the speech.

"We are lucky that you hold a reputation in the young ones and some of the old and that Keigo also holds good looks that are loved by many." she said. "Elder Grandma Zoe gave us command to leave the house to take care of a business. The business does not exist but it was a safe way to leave. She advised us to show signs of life and find you and tell you to do the same. The situation is very thin and needs careful arrangement."

"But Lea has business here to do." Keigo said surprising everyone. "She had to do something for this war and she has strived to do that for years now… we can't let anything get into her way." He looked away and added. "I will not let anything get into her way." Lea smiled and hugged the boy.

"Thanks kiddo." she whispered to him. She looked at the others. "I will not burden you or force you with anything you don't like. I will do what I've started because if I don't, then who will?" She looked around and cast a strong silence spell that blocked all noises from inside and also made people from outside hear loud music from inside thus deceiving those outside. The others looked at her curiously. "The other mind user will not do anything. She lost her brother and now strives to have him back." she said in a low voice.

"The brother died?" Selberto asked. "Is it possible to resurrect the dead through a victory? Is the magic that strong?"

"Not anymore." She replied. "But her brother is not dead exactly. His magical core is destroyed. He will leave in a numb situation. They have suggested to end his life to spare both of the siblings the pain. And this happened by the Dalmasca's warrior spell who had courted her brother to get close to her."

"Has she awakened?" Tom asked.

"Yes. And she turned quite cruel." she said in a sad voice. "The despair inside her has taken quite an effect." she got up and went to Keigo. "She and her brother were extremely close. They lived for each other and gave up everything for each other, especially the big brother. The debt she has is way too heavy. And there is also another problem." She said and moved towards the window. Everyone looked at her waiting to hear the rest. "I have been found out." she said.

* * *

Squall walked up and down in the bathroom with a worried look. He couldn't get Cloud out of his mind. He was the one that hurt him, maybe even killed him and that made him guilty. He had felt that again but never at that extent had that feeling affected him so. It wasn't anything different than all the previous timed he had used his charms to deceive someone to get closer to an enemy mage. He had even proceeded more than what he had with Cloud and yet he felt more pain and shame than the previous times. Hell he had even killed some of his lovers and he wasn't in that mess!

A noise was heard from Ashe's bedroom and Squall ran there. He saw Ashe on the floor trying to get up. He looked at her not knowing if he would help her or not. He decided not to. She was struggling to get back on her feet. A pathetic attempt he had to say and in the back of his mind he liked the view. The woman that was supposed to be his controller was not even able to control her body. He loved the idea and the pain she felt, the humiliation which for Ashe was what she despised the most. She loathed people who were weak and now there she was broken and helpless. He stared at her as she had her head down refusing to meet his eyes. He smirked and turned his back and left. He went to the door and just opened it and left not caring about Ashe or his so called 'duty' to protect her. He walked in the streets on his own feeling free and boundless for the first time since he didn't remember when.

Now that he had this freedom the question was what he was going to do with it. And he knew what that was; he had to find Cloud, to see what had happened to him. And he would find him as his sister also did. By tracking her who was supposed to be easier to find.

He was wrong though. He had tried to feel for two hours but there was no sign of her aura. It seemed she had covered it. He was able to feel a little bit of Cloud but the sensation was so faint that it was nearly impossible to find him like that, yet he had no other clue so he had to do it. He walked for some hours until he remembered where the road he had taken lead. It lead to the healing society of Twilight Town. He ran at the place and quickly entered through the mirror that was the entrance. He was in a hall with many patients. He had to be careful as to who would see him. If the little sister was here or one of her allies it would get troublesome. He quickly walked towards a nurse.

"Excuse me" he said to her and she turned to him. "How can I learn in which room a patient is?" he asked.

"Tell me his name and I can lead you to his room sir" she answered.

"Strife" Squall said. "Cloud Strife"

The nurse looked at him. "Did he come yesterday night?" she asked.

"Yes!" Squall answered immediately. "How is he? Can I see him?"

"Are you a relative or something? Hasn't Miss Strife informed you of his situation?" the nurse asked not answering Squall's previous questions and seeming to be quite suspicious.

"I am his boyfriend but Namine couldn't find me yesterday and I got her message today. She was so upset that she just mentioned that Cloud was injured not giving me details" Squall lied as easily as he always had.

"How did you know that Mister Strife was brought here?" she asked again.

"I didn't. I followed his aura and found out. Please tell me where he is."

The nurse eyed him from up to down and signed. "He is unable to talk but we believe he is able to understand what happens around him. His room is 312" she said and Squall ran to find the place. He started going up the stairs to the third floor where he stopped and looked for signs to find the room. When he finally found them, he continued his way to the room. He finally stood outside the door. Inside he saw the blond man laying on the bed with many controlling spells on him. His aura was faint but it was still there. Somehow he had survived. Squall closed his eyes and opened the door. He got in and looked at Cloud. His color was not good. It was pale. And his face showed something that Squall knew so well. Pain. Agony. Despair. And Squall knew that inside him there was betrayal. He went closer and sat to the chair next to him. He took his hand and a big breath. He was supposed to say something but no words escaped his mouth.

* * *

Namine went into the healing center. She hadn't enjoyed sleeping and she was still shaken from that dream. Roxas behind her said nothing. She knew he knew. It was a certain fact from the way he looked at her. If she was the way she was two days ago she would have asked. No, this would not be needed, He would have told her right away. But now… She refused to ask. Not now that she had just decided to be the winner and shatter his chance of release. And he refused to say. Not now that he didn't want her to win. He wanted her to lose so if Olette won, the curse might be broken.

"Miss Strife" the voice of a nurse woke her up from her deep thoughts.

"Huh?" she turned to the lady. "Oh Hello. Can I talk with the doctor? And see my brother?" she asked her.

"Yes of course. I am sure your brother's boyfriend would want to be informed about the situation" she said as she went to inform the doctor. Namine grabbed her and made her look her head.

"My brother's boyfriend?" she asked.

"Yes. A handsome young man that has brown hair and stormy eyes." the nurse said. Namine let go of her.

"I see… Thank you Miss. I will go see my brother first. I will talk with the doctor in half an hour. Tell him that I am here please." she said and run towards her brother's room.

_He's here.__ But why? What will he gain by coming here?_

She ran towards the room and stopped right outside of the room. Her brother's aura was in a way active. This scared her. Last night it was that faint that she couldn't even recognize it from the hall and now… she was able to do so.

* * *

Squall inside the room was sitting in the chair next to Cloud's bed for about ten minutes. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to say something but… it was difficult for him to do so. Something inside him made it difficult. He slowly reached for Cloud's hands. Something inside him ordered him to do so. He touched them and Cloud slightly tightened his. Squall opened and closed his eyes instinctively due to that move.

"Cloud…?" he asked in a whisper. He moved closer and held his hands tightly. With his other hand he caressed his face. "Cloud." he repeated and his voice betrayed a slight hint of emotions.

_I forgive you for deceiving me…_

Squall looked around. He heard a voice but couldn't tell from where or whose. Cloud tightened his hands taking Squall's full attention to him again.

_But… if you hurt her, I will hunt you down till __you are sent to the depths of hell._

"Cloud?" Squall couldn't believe it. The man was communicating with him telepathetically. That was though a thought that registered at the back of his head. He was forgiven for what he had done…

But wouldn't be forgiven if he hurt the mind user. A slight jealously rose inside him. Why that girl always had to be first? Every moment he spent with Cloud he had been second.

_I mean it. _

"I know." he said and hesitantly leaned closer to Cloud and caressed his face. A small smile on his face betrayed the feeling he felt. He leaned closer and gave a light kiss on the man's lips. They were cold, his lips and yet to Squall they had the most sensual taste in the world. He looked at his face and somehow he saw a calmer look had appeared on the man's face. He got up and let go of his hand and looked around. For a moment as he looked at the balcony he thought he saw a man but didn't really care to check it out.

* * *

Namine didn't get it. Cloud's presence got stronger and stronger. She looked from the small opening of the door at what as happening. What she saw surprised her. The man holding Cloud's hands and somehow she thought Cloud's hands moved, tightened slightly. She tightened her fist. This was a sign of life! She heard the man mutter his name. And then she heard clearly and loudly a voice in her head.

_I forgive you for deceiving me…_

This couldn't be… Cloud had abilities of the mind. She leaned away of the door and stared at the floor. He was able to comprehend with what was happening around him. Then the voice rang again.

_But… if you hurt her, I will hunt you down till __you are sent to the depths of hell._

A tear slipped and a crushing wave of pain hit her. This was too much. She didn't deserve that much. She didn't deserve anything of what he had given her. She got up and looked again at what was happening in the room. He was leaning closer and Namine knew what he was about to do. She closer her eyes and stood with her back on the wall giving them some privacy. She heard him get up and went a step back so he could open the door. He got out and seemed surprised to see her. He then lowered his gaze and continued his way to get out of the hospital. Namine stayed still not saying anything. She watched him walking with his hands on his pockets and then looked at her brother's room and then again at him who had vanished. Cloud had given a sign of life… for her but not to her. Although she needed it as much as that summon did. She needed it more than he did.

She shook her head angrily. Thoughts like that were not accepted. She was the center of his world… again. She couldn't ask for him more. She hadn't had the right to ask. He wasn't hers anymore after all. She only had the duty to give him everything he needed. For all those years he gave her without asking. Now it was her turn to live for him.

She got into his room and sat where Squall was sitting some moments ago. She took Cloud's hand on her own and smiled. No response came from Cloud and that made her sigh bitterly. She looked at him again and moved closer still holding his hands.

"I will save you." she whispered. "And then I will get out of your life so you will be able to live a nice, happy life." she caressed his face. "the life I stole, the life you deserve." she smiled and let a tear slid. She kissed his cheek and let go of his hands. "I'll come again tomorrow."

* * *

Seifer was lying on his bed trying to relax but found himself unable to do so. Lea for an unknown reason didn't get out of his mind no matter how hard he tried to distract his self. He let a sigh come out and got out of the room to see what Tifa was doing. He found her in the kitchen reading as he had left her some hours ago. Not wanting to disturb her, he went into his room. Then in an instant he felt the change in the room. He closed the door. He looked around. He seemed not able to track the invader and as a figure in the shadows was ready to grab him from the back, he turned and grabbed the figure pushing it on the bed with him onto.

"Lea?" he asked when he saw who the invader was. The woman smiled and let out a sign.

"You caught me although I wanted to surprise you." she said. Seifer not moving at all tightened his hold of her and stared at her. "Hey Seifer!" she said.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"To talk" she answered.

|Ok then. Spit it out whatever you have to say." he snapped. His voice was angry. This didn't go unnoticed by Lea. "Or you are here to talk to Tifa?"

"No! I want to talk to you." she said trying to move underneath him. This simple move made Seifer blush slightly and immediately got up.

"Sorry" he murmured. She didn't move from the bed and just smiled.

"Don't worry about it. It was enjoyable in a way." she said. Seifer looked at her with a curious look like not comprehending with had she had said. Lea for a moment had a hesitant look.

"Seeing you blush I mean" she said and smiled mockingly. She looked on the floor and got up. "How are you Seifer?" she asked.

"Good" he answered. He was sitting on the floor and looked at her, stressed and really uncomfortable.

"That's nice!" she said and smiled with a true smile. "I've been fine too." she added after a while. There was an awkward silence between them. She looked around, cast a glance at him and then at the floor. After giving it some thought, she got up and moved closer to him. "You know Seifer… I have been thinking lately… about us." He looked at her curiously and moved away from her. "And I think I've missed you a lot those days" she said approaching him again. He didn't move this time. "Have you missed me at all?"

Seifer looked around and then at Lea again. He half smiled "Not as much as I miss others" he said and looked into her eyes being sure that she knew who he was referring to.

"Oh…" she said and leaned back of him giving him some space. "Well although I am not into your mind or his, I would say he thinks of you less than you do." she said and got up. She stretched giving him time to react. Seifer, with her at least, was always very careful as to what he would say and how he would say whatever he said.

"Why do you think that?" he asked.

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh just because of a blondie he met" she said like this was the most common and easy thing to be said. Seifer caught his breath and then let it out. He looked around and then shook his head fiercely.

"I don't believe you." he said. "Or to be more exact I don't believe things are the way you say they are. Squall has met many people throughout the wars because the mistresses forced him. Why should that be of any difference?" he asked but his tone indicated he wasn't so sure. It was Lea after all who told him. And Lea never bluffed, at least not with him.

"Do you want evidence?" she asked and lay on the bed. Seifer looked at her and then at the door. "Don't worry about Tifa. We'll cast an illusionary spell and she will find you if she opens the door sleeping." Seifer still looked hesitant. "Do not be afraid. I will put many protection spells on the area." she reassured him.

"I can't trust you" he said and looked into her eyes which softened and saddened slightly for a moment.

"I know." she admitted. "But you still want to come with me? You want to be sure?" she pressed him. She raised her hand urging him to take it so they would go out.

"Yes" he said and accepted her hand. She smiled at him and tightened his hand with hers. "You have forgotten a blouse here by the way" he said and under the pillow he showed a black shirt.

"Oh thank you!" Lea said and took it. "I was looking for it everywhere. It is very important to me" she said.

"Why?"

"Eh?" she asked. "Did you say something?" she asked and smiled again.

"Why is it important?" he asked as he opened the window.

"It is a present from a man that I love a lot. Maybe the man I treasure the most" she said and smiled at the thought of that person. It was the first gift she had received from him. "I would like you two to meet." she said but Seifer didn't respond to that.

"Let's go" he said. She nodded and jumped out of the window. Seifer after a giving a glance at the door jumped as well.

* * *

Keigo was laying on the bed listening to music. He looked at the clock. Lea had been gone for about an hour. She hadn't said where she was going and when Reito offered or rather demanded to go with her she refused. And he then started his medical rumbling about her health to which Lea of course as a typical Lockhart gave no mind. She was such an egoist. She preferred to die rather than let a dream not come true. Keigo though and as he suspected Selberto, Mai and perhaps Tom knew better.

_Flashback_

_A knock was heard from the door. A boy around fourte__en looked up from his studies. "Come in" he said. The door opened and a beautiful girl with long black hair wearing a black nightdress stepped into. _

"_Hey! How is it going?"__ she asked and closed the door behind her. "You want any help?"_

_He shook his head. "No, don't worry. How are you?"__ he asked._

"_Fine"__ she said and went closer to him. She caressed his cheeks with both of her hands and smiled as she looked into his blue eyes. She signed._

"_It really is not fair." s__he said and kept looking at him. _

"_What?"__ he asked confused and blushed as she brought her face closer to his. _

"_That you are so beautiful a__nd I didn't see you growing up to become the jewel you are now." she said and hugged him. _

"_Lea!" he said and hugged her back. "__I am a jewel because you helped me show that I am." he said and she looked at him again. _

"_I wish I could have seen you growing up." she said stood up. She ran a hand through her hair and smiled. "I am bothering you again. You have to study, right?" she said and was ready to leave._

"_No, stay." he said and got up from the chair. "I was studying for a test next week. I have time to study another day" he explained and took her hand. "You are lonely tonight."_

"_You know me way too well"__ she said. _

"_Of course I do." he smiled. "I am your brother after all." h__e said._

_She smiled. "Yes,__you are. My one and only." she caressed his face again. "You know that you are my treasure right?"_

"_You keep telling me this since I was eight, how could I not know?" he said. "But even if you didn't tell me, I'd know because I feel it." He lay on her lap and she run her hand into his hair. "But I am not your one and only sibling. Let me remind you that we have three sisters and two more brothers."_

"_They don't count" she said. "They don't know me and I don't know them."_

_A silence reigned between them as the just stared at the window. "Sis?" Keigo asked. _

"_What?"_

"_Have you ever thought of what fear is to you?" he asked. She looked at him and after a while smiled._

"_Yes. What about it?"_

"_I__'ve been thinking about it lately and I wanted to talk about it with someone and who better to do so than you" he said. "So, what is fear to you? And what are your fears? I guess you aren't afraid of anything since you are such an amazing person."_

"_No,"she whispered. "I am afraid of various things." s__he said. _

"_Like?"_

"_Like loosing control" she said. "Or not being the controller. I am afraid to depend on someone that I don't have something like a fact to hold him with me." she said and let out a laugh. Does it make sense?"_

"_Yes… you are referring to Reito and to Seifer right? And mainly to Reito."_

"_Yes, you are right. This fear comes from my relationship with Reito. Although he is so important, I am afraid to let him know because it is possible that he will go away. And then I will be vulnerable and I will not be able to hold him in any way as mine."_

"_He'd be your ex, your first friend. Your companion, your doctor… he would be yours in many ways." he stated._

"_You are right but all these apart from the first friend can change." she said. "But it wouldn't be like what Tommy and I would have even if we broke up, given that we had a relationship. He would still be my cousin and I would still be his. That would never change. To Reito…I'd be nothing." she said._

"_I don't know him sis, n__ot personally. But a man that has protected you all these years and still does his best to keep you safe and to make you feel fine with it, has resented himself to the shadows couldn't just think of you as nothing. You are his purpose. You don't share blood relation but you share a life that none of our relatives has shared with you." _

_Lea smiled at what the boy said. "You are very mature kiddo." she said. "But I still think that it is best to let things be the way they are." _

"_You are such a coward when it comes to personal matters" he muttered. _

"_I know." she admitted._

"_So that's you biggest fear?"__ he asked._

"_No."__ she answered._

"_Then what is it? Death?"__ he asked. _

"_Certainly not!" she snorted. "__I have lived with Death for years, it is not that bad you know. I am actually waiting to die soon."_

"_Don't say that!" he said annoyed and sat up. "__You are just twenty two. You can't say you are waiting to die, like you want to."_

"_You don't understand Keigo. You don't know what it is to be old inside and young outside." she looked at him bitterly. "I feel like I am an old lady and yet I am young to everyone else…but myself." She looked around. "I think it is time for you to sleep." she said and got up and walked towards the door. Without turning she said "By the way, what I fear the most is this "If a dream doesn't come true, is it a lie? Or is it something worse.""_

_End Flashback_

"I am going to eat" Reito announced.

"So what do you want us to do about it?" Tom answered and raised an eyebrow. Reito looked back at him and half smiled mockingly.

"I have some manners, real manners, unlike you. So I thought it would be rude to just disappear without saying anything." he said. "Do any of you want to come along?" he asked.

"I will" Keigo said and got up. "Wait a moment to find my shoes" he said and looked around.

"They are next to the door" Reito said.

"Oh." he said. "Thanks" he mumbled. The two men got out of the room and headed to the dinning room at the second floor. They sat on a table when they got there and looked at the catalogs they were given. After ordering they sat in silence staring at each other.

"You know… from all of Lea's chosen… you are the one's relationship with her I understand the least" Reito said. Keigo just half smiled. "You surely love her and respect her but you don't lust her like Tom does…"

"Or like you do." Keigo added. To this Reito blushed but didn't answer.

"You don't lust her, you don't see her as a leader either yet you follow her every order and you are the only one she doesn't press." He leaned closer to Keigo placing his hands on the table. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Are you jealous, Mister Ichihara?" he asked. 'Of Lea of course." Keigo added.

"No! Lea and I share not a relationship like this" he said loudly before Keigo had actually finished his answer. The boy laughed. "Why are you laughing?"

"You are a terrible liar, you know" he said.

"No, I have survived thanks to my ability to lie and control myself." Reito answered.

"Then I guess it is Lea you can't lie about or…you can't lie to me." Keigo said.

"Who are you?" he asked. "And what are you?"

"Me? I am Keigo Lockhart, a human being." he said and smiled charmingly.

"No… you are a mind flyer." he said. "My question is 'are you at a mind user's level'? Or just close to it?"

Keigo looked around and then at the older man. "I guess that is something you will learn on your own" he said and smiled. The waiter with their food arrived and served. After saying their thank you to the girl they stared at each other.

"Don't be afraid." Keigo said. "I am no danger to Lea and I am no danger to you" he added and smiled.

* * *

Thanks for reading this. I will update the next chapter as soon as I have it edited by my beta. There are still 3 more chaptres until this story is officially ON HIATIUS. But if you liked it or anything, I'd be happy to listen to your opinion.


	18. Chapter 18

Title: Lives Sacrificied in a Repeating War, The Fateful Meeting Of The Two.

Kairi with Sora were waiting in a café. Kairi last night had been called by the brown haired mage, the Axel mistress, called Olette who had insisted on meeting her as she had something extremely important to discuss with her. There was information that was not known. Kairi had no problem with this. On the contrary she liked it as she had to inform her and the mind user about Rinoa's death. Upon learning that, Sora had somehow gotten depressed. Kairi looked at the boy who signed, something he tended to do a lot the last hours. She couldn't really blame him, after all the Ice knight must have been someone precious when they were alive and although Sora's consciousness didn't remember that, his body and his soul did. The boy had kissed him after all. She looked at the sky. She had to tell many things. She hadn't informed Rinoa's father yet. The body was given to the Symphony of Legends and they were supposed to organize the cover up. But Kairi knew that she had to tell the news to the girl's father. Rinoa had asked her that.

Father… Would her father care if she died? Would he even wonder about her? Would anyone care? Kairi believed that apart from her cousin Zack no one would. They would simply dismiss the incident and return to their daily lives. But… although that fact was sad… Kairi found herself smiling. Despite that she didn't know whether she would live or die tomorrow, she had never felt happier. She enjoyed life those last days. They were more fun than they had ever been. And Twilight was amazing. She now understood why Zack was so reluctant to leave it. The islands couldn't be compared with this place. If she survived she would stay here… with Zack.

"Hey!" a girly voice was heard from behind and Kairi turned to see Olette and Axel approaching them. She smiled. They sat at the two empty seats and a moment after a waiter came to take their orders. "Were you waiting long?" she asked. She looked at her watch. "I guess my watch has a problem and that's why I was late."

"No… we came earlier. I couldn't stay in the house due to various reasons" Kairi said and smiled. Somehow she didn't feel uncomfortable although she usually did with people around her. She eyed Sora. His influence… maybe. "I am glad you called. I have to tell you something that I would like you to tell the mind user." she said.

"You mean Namine?" she asked.

"Yes, her."

"Ok. What is it?" Olette asked and smiled, her green eyes sparkling something made Kairi for a moment space out.

"Something." she said. "Bad." Olette sat up and wet her lips. "The mage who informed me about everything I told you… Rinoa Heartily… was found dead. And the one who probably killed her is Lockhart Lea."

Olette let out a small gasp but managed to regain her control. "I see. So we won't have an answer." she said.

"We do have an answer." Kairi said. "She is involved and there are important things in the mansion." She leaned closer to Olette who did the same. "Rinoa had entrusted me with her research so we can also find the mansion if there is any need." she said. She looked down and bit her bottom lip.

"What?" Olette asked.

"How is she?"

"Namine?" Olette asked and Kairi nodded. "I haven't seen her since then but I am planning on finding her today." she stated. "Would you like to come with me?"

"I am not sure if this is a good idea." Kairi said. "She doesn't like me."

"Nonsense. Namine is a very good willed girl, I am sure it will be just fine." she said.

"If you say so."

"I do." Olette insisted. Before they could utter another word they felt a familiar aura. They both turned their heads and saw Namine walk with Roxas behind her. Olette smiled at Kairi. "See, she is here. We can tell her right away." She got up and ran outside. Kairi looked at the two girls. Olette hugged Namine enthusiastically and grabbed her hand pulling her in. Namine smiled softly but her smile in a moment was lost. Kairi raised an eyebrow.

Something was different.

Olette and Namine went in with Roxas following. Behind.

_Behind._

"Hello" she said. Kairi nodded and smiled.

"How are you?" she asked.

'Fine. Thank you. You?' Namine answered as she sat. Roxas stood behind her and glanced at Axel who was sitting next to Olette.

"Hey girls! What's up with this formality? We're all friends here!" she said. The two girls looked at Olette and then at each other but said nothing.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Namine asked.

"Right. Let's get to the point." Olette said and looked at Kairi.

"Rinoa Heartilly, the mage which informed me about the war and everything I told you, was found dead." she blurred out. Namine sat up but her expression showed none of her thoughts. "I suspect that the one who killed her was Lockhart. She was killed without a scratch. It was as the healers said like her brain stopped. Like she went to sleep. There was no pain and she was brought to the house of her sister's boyfriend."

"Sister?" Namine asked confused.

"She was killed during the previous war by Lockhart." Kairi said.

"Oh" Namine said.

"By the way… since we are talking about siblings. How is your brother, Namine? I wanted to go to the Healing society but… I felt that this is not my business and we are not really close so… I didn't." Olette said. Namine's eyes softened and she took a big breath. Kairi stressed and Olette bit her lip.

"He is alive." she said. The other two girls relaxed. "But he will live in a numb situation for the rest of his life or at least that is what the Doctor said."

"Oh Namine." Olette said and hugged her. "I am so sorry." she said as she caressed her back. Namine had a distant look and hugged Olette back slightly.

"Me too." she said and looked at the people who were walking at the road. Kairi who was just watching them frowned.

_Something was wrong._

Roxas looked at her and then at Axel. Axel looked back at him and asked with a look if he had to tell him something. Roxas looked at Namine who was still hugging Olette. He nodded with a serious look. Axel looked at Sora who nodded as well. Kairi who was watching the three men, motioned to Sora to come closer. 'Can you go check around if anything is wrong? I felt something strange?' she said loud enough for the other two mistresses to hear. She looked at Sora and smiled.

'Axel go too.' Olette said. 'We should not let our guard down.'

Namine looked outside and then at Roxas. He raised an eyebrow and she nodded. He immediately ran out of the café to find the other two warriors.

Once outside the three men turned into a corner and looked behind. 'Your mistress is a true treasure' Roxas said.

'They always are.' Axel said. Sora smiled without commenting.

'I have something very serious to warn you about.' Roxas said.

'We know… that's why Kairi found an excuse to get us alone.' Sora said. Axel looked at the blond boy as he leaned against a wall and crossed his hands on his chest.

'Namine…' Roxas started. 'She has changed.' He said. 'The situation of her brother, the way her brother came to this situation is crushing her. She is very guilty. And those guilts are driving her insane and she reacts on emotions.' Roxas explained. 'You get what I mean, right?'

'She doesn't want this to end.' Axel said.

'She wants the prize so her brother will be cured.' Sora finished.

'Yes. She won't say anything to your mistresses.' He looked behind. 'Inform them and make sure that they will not betray what they know. Olette is way too trusting for her own good. Kairi on the other hand is not like that which is actually surprising. She is the holy user.' Roxas said as he went a step back. 'It's time to go back.' He added. The three of them walked towards the café.

'Don't worry.' Axel said.

'This won't continue for long. If we are able to contact and the remaining two, we will have more chances to do it so if you get involved in a fight inform them. Even if they are forced to kill you, it will be extremely good if the two strongest of us are our allies.' Sora added.

'I hope so. The seal is weakened after all. I was able to inform you. That's a proof of that.' Roxas added.

'And that is thanks to you and Lady Elfie.' Sora said. 'If she hadn't wished for us to be freed, there wouldn't be this steady weakening.'

'I know.' Roxas said and smiled at the thought of the brown haired teenager that danced in the forest.

Olette, Kairi and Namine were waiting outside. Olette ran towards them. 'Did you find anything?' she asked.

'No.' Sora said. 'Nothing out of the ordinary'

* * *

After understanding that there were too many people gathered in the room they decided to use two more. Mai would stay with Lea and Kadaj. Selberto and that Tom would share one and Reito with that Keigo-boy another. Reito opened his eyes as he rolled over the bed. He yawned and sat up. He looked around and it took him a moment to remember where he was and what had happened. He looked around for the younger Lockhart. Reito got up and then he heard water running from the bathroom. He signed and sat down back on the bed. As he was resisting the urge to sleep again, the door of the bathroom opened to reveal a half naked Keigo who was wearing just his trousers.

'You're awake I see?' he asked. Reito still sleepy looked at him with an eyebrow raised, too bored to answer. He yawned again and showed the bathroom and without waiting Keigo's reaction he entered the bathroom. Keigo outside smiled faintly.

'Thank God Lea doesn't have to deal with his morning attitude every day.' He murmured as he left the room to go eat breakfast downstairs.

Reito after washing his face and waking up fully exited the bathroom and went to change clothes. After a moment his cell phone rang. He picked it up.

'Hello?'

'Hello Reito, how are you?' a female voice asked.

'I am fine Marine. You?'

'Fine too.'

'Great' a silence ruled for a moment which was broken from Reito. 'What is the reason you called?'

'I saw you are at Twilight and I wanted to ask your help.' She said.

'Do you have anyone with serious damage?' he asked.

'Yes… a man whose magical core is damaged.' She said.

'That's not something I can help you with.' He answered back.

'I know that generally this condition is not healed but there has been some serious behavior from that person.' She said.

'Behavior?' he asked. 'Isn't he in a numb situation?'

'He is and he isn't.' she said.

'Care to elaborate?'

'He is able to comprehend with what happens around him and he has been able once to talk through the mind with someone. He is a mind flyer as you guess but a weak one.'

'That's… peculiar.' He said.

'I know… so I thought that since you have a specialty in mind users and mind flyers, you might be able to help.' She said. Again there was a paused. 'So will you find sometime to come check him up? Even if you don't have the time to be his regular doctor, a diagnosis from you will most certainly be helpful.' She added.

'I will come… out of curiosity. Prepare him for tests and in an hour or so I will be there.' He answered.

'Yay! Great Reito! I can't wait to see you. I am sure you have become so sexy since the last time I saw you. I have a feeling I won't be able to keep my hands off you. So after the diagnosis mind coming at my home… to chat?' she asked

'Sorry Marine. I am busy' he answered indifferently. 'What's his name?'

'Next time maybe. Wait a minute… what was it? Oh! Strife. Cloud Strife' she said.

'What is it?' he asked shocked.

'Cloud Strife. Why do you know him?' he asked.

'No. Just heard of him.' He murmured. He shook his head. 'Anyway I'll be there in an hour. Bye!' He said and quickly hang up. He let the phone on the table and lay on the bed. 'Now what to do with this?' he asked himself waiting of course no answer. Suddenly the door opened to reveal a flushed Mai. Reito, half dressed, looked at her. She eyed him for a moment and blushed slightly. 'Miss Mai?'

'Yes?' she answered immediately.

'If you are looking for the boy, he has gone downstairs.' He said.

'I know, I saw him. I am looking for Lea.' She said.

'Why is she not with you or in the room?' he asked.

'If she is not here, I am afraid she has not returned yet.' She said and Reito let out a hiss.

* * *

Lea with Seifer jumped from roof to roof. The man every now and then had the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He glanced at the black haired woman. Lea was a reason for something bad to happen. She was enough. Lea stopped.

'What is it?' He asked her.

'We go to that balcony' she said. He nodded and they jumped down. They stood there and Lea looked through the glass. 'We need to wait a moment' He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 'Don't give me that look. He will come.' She looked again in.

'By the way who is this guy?' He asked. 'The blond one.'

'The brother of a mage and yes he was told to date him but he met him on his own and went the first time on a date with him without having to.' She said.

'Really? Maybe he did it so that his mistress would have an upper hand' Seifer said.

'Don't be naïve Seifer.' She said. 'We both know that the cat hates the Dalmasca. She is awful to him.' He looked away.

'Here he is!' she whispered and pulled him closer to her.

He looked with her and saw Squall sit next to that man and look at him with such a sad expression. With so many emotions in his eyes. Seifer grasped Lea's arm as he bit his lip. He saw Squall caress him. He called his name. Cloud. That was it. He took a breath as he saw the brown haired man to take the unconscious one's hand and then get up and lean towards him. Seifer closed his eyes and opened. He held Lea closer and she hesitantly caressed him. Squall kissed him and as he got up they looked into each other's eyes but even then, Squall did not react. It was like he hadn't seen him. Like he didn't exist. Seifer looked down and sat on the cold floor. Like he didn't exist.

Maybe he didn't anymore for Squall.

Lea close to him kneeled closer to him and took him into a hug. He rested on her chest as was drawing warmth from her body. Lea looked again in the room and then again at Seifer.

'I am sorry' she whispered and kissed his hair. 'I shouldn't have brought you here.' She added.

'No' he answered. 'Thank you Lea. This is the first thing someone has done something for me.' He sat up and hugged Lea. She was in a state of paralysis. Her usually steady hands now trembled as she hugged him back.

'Let's get out of here.' She said and holding him they jumped down at the road. Seifer though didn't want to move and kept hugging her tighter and tighter. Then in a second he let go of her and looked into her black eyes. She bit her lip and half smiled. 'What?' she asked.

'May I try something?' he asked.

'Sure' she said and as soon as the word escaped her lips, his mouth crushed into hers forcing and demanding. He squeezed her against him trying to find some comfort in her presence. She was shocked at first but after a moment she kissed back. There was passion in that kiss. But more than passion, there was a need of expression. They both expressed their sadness and their pain. Lea let some tears escape while her hands rest on his shoulders and then moved to his neck. She smiled as she touched him. He was soft there in contrast with other parts of his body. Somewhere in the back of her mind, an alarm ringed. She was getting carried away. If she let that continue she would always regret it. She felt inside her fear. A deep fear of becoming dependant. She pulled away and took a breath. Seifer looked at her and tried to kiss her again. 'Wait. Wait' she muttered although his breath on her face made her words not be that strong.

'But I don't want to.' He said and brushed his lips on hers.

'I do though' she said and went a step back. She looked down and took a moment so she would be able to control herself again. 'You don't want this.' She said.

'I do.'

'You don't.' she stated again. 'You are depressed right now and confused. I don't want something to make things more difficult than the way they are already.' She added. She raised her eyes and looked at him. 'I am not strong enough to survive this.' She said.

'Don't be stupid Lea.' Seifer said. 'You want this. And you want this years now. And now you can have it.' He went closer but she pulled him back.

'True.' She admitted. 'But I am not the relationship type and at the same time not the one-fuck type.' She said. 'And you are Seifer. I can't let anything destroy my image of you, not even myself.'

'Lea. You don't love me. You lust me. No bad feelings.' He looked into her eyes. 'I want to repay you.' He said. 'I want to forget' he added.

'No.' she said. 'You need to think and decide.' She took a breath. 'I am taking you home.' She said and grabbed his hand. 'Let's go.'

'What?'

'You must never react on emotions. If you do, you'll get crashed. You must always follow logic and see the world only through your brain.' She said. 'Your mind can't betray you. Your emotions can.' She said firmly and pulled him.

* * *

Squall entered the apartment and slowly walked towards Ashe's bedroom. The door was half open. She was on the bed, sleeping. He went closer and observed her for a moment. She was breathing with a great deal of difficulty. He could tell that. Somehow he also felt that disturbance in his lungs. He closed his eyes and turned his back to the woman. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

_Ashe… is weak_

She had no chance of winning… no chance of surviving. Compared to the blond mind user… she was nothing. But apart from their gap in power… Squall…. Wanted to honor Cloud's request. He would kill other enemies for Cloud. He would even kill Seifer for Cloud. So when the opponents would have been reduced to one it would be Ashe. And Squall was determined to kill Ashe with his own hands. For Cloud.

So _she_ would bring him back to life.

He only hoped that Seifer would forgive him. That he would never have to know that things were not as they once were to be.

* * *

Olette was walking with Axel to her side. Axel looked at her with a worried expression. 'Mistress… there is something I need to tell you.' He stated.

'What?' she asked him with a smile. The red-haired man hesitated for a moment seeing her innocent expression. 'What is it?'

'It is about the mind user.' He told her still a little hesitant.

'Namine?'

'Yes… did you notice anything strange with her today?' he asked although his stone showed he was not wondering about it.

'Now that you mention it, yes. She is a little different, but with all that happened to her brother, it is logical that she is a little shaken. I mean everything happened so fast.' She said softly.

'If you were in her shoes, mistress, what big change do you think would have happened to you?' he asked.

'Big change?' she asked confused. 'I don't understand.'

'Roxas talked to us when we went out. There was no strange aura. Kairi made that up to give Roxas the opportunity to inform us.'

'Inform you? About what?' Olette asked fearfully.

'Namine is no longer… an ally.' He whispered. He glanced at her to see her expression. She was as he feared shocked.

'Why?' she asked with a trembling voice.

'She wants to cure her brother.'

'No…' Olette whispered and tears run down her face. She looked into his eyes. 'No…'

'We should be careful. There are a lot of possibilities we will be attacked from behind from now on.' He said out lout what they were both thinking. They were both afraid of. Olette didn't say anything. She just stood there. After a moment she half smiled sadly and turned to her left.

'Come out.' She said. Axel immediately stressed and released his weapon, two circular, red chakrams with silver spikes and circles in the edges and two black handles cross in the middle.

Then from a corner Kairi along with Sora appeared. 'Hello.'

'You know what happened' Kairi said calmly. 'You shouldn't be that trusting Olette. People are not good enough for that.'

'Does that count for you too?' she asked.

'Of course.' She signed and went closer but stopped seeing Axel's stance with his chakrams. 'I am not here to fight so please put them away.' She told him and smiled. She turned her gaze to Olette and continued pacing towards her. 'No one is worth your complete devotion. No one is worth being your priority but yourself. Love the world, love your friends but don't forget that the future and their love is not guaranteed.' She touched her shoulder. 'Now, let's get to the point. The situation has changed, that is a fact. Trying to persuade Namine would probably be futile and very risky. I am not willing to do that.' She stated calmly and yet with a lot of strength in her voice.

'Although I like Namine a lot, I am afraid you are right. She will not compromise with us.' She admitted sadly.

'So what do we do? There is only the two of us now.' She asked with an indifferent tone although the subject was serious.

'Should we inform the other two?' Olette suggested although she wasn't sure if this would be a good idea.

'We could inform them… but we are not sure about their reaction. They are trained and raised for this as a matter of fact.' She looked in the sky and then at Olette again. 'By the way, we will not tell the mind user about us knowing.' She said. 'And that is something we will not debate on.'

'Don't order me.' Olette said angrily, clearly insulted.

'Don't use that tone with me.' Kairi answered back as calmly as before. For a moment silence ruled. It was broken by Kairi who closed her eyes and signed defeated. 'I am sorry Olette. But I really don't want the mind user to know. We have more chances to kill her that way. She, still, is quite relaxed in our company.'

Olette looked at Kairi and then at the sky. 'Don't worry Kairi. I am also sorry for my tone.' She turned her gaze on her again. 'I see your point and, although, I don't like the idea of killing, I despise more the idea of dying and of this situation continuing.'

'Ok.' Kairi went closer and put her hand on her pocket. 'There is something, I want to ask of you' she started hesitantly. 'A favour.'

'What kind of favour?' Olette wondered suspiciously.

Kairi handed the Axel mistress a small piece of paper. 'If I die, before you, can you please call this number and ask for the head of the family or Zack. Please inform them about what happened to me.'

Olette accepted the little piece of paper and put her hand on her pocket. 'What a coincidence! I wanted you to do the same or at least the same.' She stated and handed her another piece of paper. 'It is an address, my best friend's. Tell him please that I died, in person and when he calms down, give him this envelop.' She said and handed her using her other hand a thick envelop.

'Sure.' Kairi said an accepter them. 'If by chance, I die first, you will find them in the apartment I reside now. You know where right? The keys will be under the carpet.' She added. She turned to leave but stopped and smiling she turned back and marched towards Olette. She offered her hand. Olette looked at it. 'It was a pleasure to meet you, even under these kinds of circumstances.' Olette smiled back and they shook hands.

Calm and relaxed, Olette smiled at the holy user. 'Mine as well. You are a very… respectable person, Kairi.'

'So, let's go home.' Kairi said.

'Yes.' Olette agreed. Sora and Axel who had stayed behind, not wanting to interfere with their private moment shared a look and then slowly followed behind their mistresses. Whatever was about to happen, would happen the way they chose it to happen. Even death had a variety to choose from.

* * *

Kairi entered Zack's room and let the keys on a table. She put out her jacket and left it on the couch. Glancing once at Sora and receiving a nod from him, she proceeded with picking the phone and dialling a number. She signed and she nervously moved around her self.

Someone picked up the phone. 'Hello'

Kairi took a breath again. 'Hello. May I speak with Mr Heartilly?'

'It's me.' The man answered nervously.

'Well, my name is Kairi Fon Tarlien and I am a fellow mage of this war. Unfortunately…' she started determined to say it.

'No.' the man refused fiercely. 'No!'

'Unfortunately yes, sir' she insisted.

'No! She is not dead! Not and her!'

'Sir, please, you must accept it for it is the one and only truth.'

There was a pause and an uncomfortable silence ruled. 'Were you the one who killed her?' he asked with a low voice.

'No.' she answered. There was hesitation in her tone, she knew the question that would follow and couldn't answer truthfully.

It was what she expected. 'Who?'

'A Lockhart' the girl answered saying some of the truth.

'Them? Again them?' he angrily yelled.

'Them.' Kairi said and let out a breath she was holding. 'I am deeply sorry, sir' she added sadly and hung up the phone. She put the phone down and paced towards the bedroom. Sora just watched her. She closed the door softly behind her and lay on the bed, closing her eyes. She smiled slightly and let some tears roll down her face.

There would be no such reaction from her father. Kairi was sure of that.

* * *

Namine was walking slowly towards her house. Roxas followed with a certain distance between them. That distance was increasing day by day. The mind user, though, seemed not to care. It was her choice, after all. She turned to a narrow street and continued walking with ease. Suddenly a woman appeared behind her and touched her shoulder. Namine panicking went a step back and with widened eyes looked at the invader. It was a black haired woman with pale skin.

The woman smiled and eyed Namine from top to bottom. 'You're quite pretty.' She admitted with interest.

Namine raised an eyebrow. The woman laughed at that move. 'Oh! How impolite of me! I have not introduced myself.' She bowed slightly. 'My name is Lea Lockhart, a fellow mind user.' She rose up and smiled with a cocky expression at Namine who had frozen. 'You are Namine Strife, one of the rookies in this war.' She started walking backwards. 'Just so you know… I am rooting for you.' She turned and released her aura. 'But don't get carried away, just because you have a sharp mind.'

Namine's feet trembled slightly as the chilling aura was ready to overthrow her defences. She looked around desperately for Roxas. He was nowhere to be found. She tried to speak but no sound came out of her voice. She tried to think but her mind was blocked.

Lea looked at her. 'See you again, Namine. In the finals.' And she vanished. Namine fell down. Roxas then ran towards her.

He stopped in front of her worried. 'What happened? There was a barrier and I couldn't enter.'

Namine tried to speak but found her throat too dry to be able to let a sound out. She tried again. 'I met her. The previous winner.' She said and held him to get up. 'Follow me. We are going home.' She ordered but her tone was weak. Compared to that woman, she was weak indeed.


	19. Chapter 19

Title: Thoughts Are The Shadows Of Our Feelings ~ Only Darker, Simpler and Emptier

Reito got out of the hotel. He looked around trying to detect Lea's aura. After a moment of searching he signed. It was a futile attempt. If Lea didn't want to be found, she wouldn't. The healer signed and headed towards the hospital. It wasn't just because the patient was involved with Lea's opponent but also because the case was interesting. He loved his 'work' and he was an expert in mind flyers and mind users. He walked calmly through the streets and without hesitating he entered through the mirror. He looked at the familiar hall.

A young nurse smiled and ran towards him. 'Reito!' He hugged her back.

'Hello Len.' He answered. She hugged him tightly. He started growing impatient, the girl had not loosed her hold and people started looking at them weirdly, which made him uncomfortable. 'Len… can you let go of me, please?'

The girl looked at him with an annoyed look. 'But I haven't seen you for so long.' She complained.

Reito took softly her hands and released himself from her. 'That's better.' He went a step back. 'Where is Marine?' he asked in a professional tone.

'At her office.' The girl answered. 'How long will you stay here?'

'I don't know' he answered vaguely. She nodded with an annoyed look. That was his answer all the time. Reito walked towards Marine's office and without knocking entered. 'Good morning Marine.'

'Good morning Reito.' She answered as she was looking through some papers. 'You came quickly. Does the case interest you that much?' She looked at him and half smiled. 'Or is it connected with someone you are interested in?' she asked.

Reito didn't answer but Marine didn't let go of the subject. 'Especially a woman.' She added.

He looked away but couldn't resist to learn what she was implying. What she may know. 'And who would that be?' he asked with a curious expression.

'Lockhart.'

Reito, taken aback from her answer, sat calmly on a chair and looked at her. 'What do I have to do with a family like the Lockharts. I am just a healer who pretends to be a good citizen when in reality I am part of the criminal world.'

Marine got up and walked to him, sat on his legs and hugged him from the neck. 'Why don't I believe you.' She stated.

'I don't know' he answered and removed her hands off him 'And I don't care' he added and got up pushing her away from him. The woman accustomed to this behavior, when they were in the hospital, got up before he was able to push her. She sat on the chair opposite of him and leaned closer. She smiled at him with an expression that said 'I know something you don't know that I know.' Despite his curiosity, the healer didn't react to that. He wouldn't let her have her fun. Reading her mind would be impossible now, given that she was prepared for an attack. He smiled and leaned closer as well. 'Shall we go to the patient?'

'Yes. We shall.' She answered and took his hand pulling him. They got out and Marine locked her office.

'Why are you locking?' he asked.

She looked around and whispered to him. 'There are some people who would on purpose try to make my life difficult.' The man nodded and silently cast a protection spell on the door. Nevertheless Marine was an ally, maybe even a friend to him. If he ever wanted anything from the hospital, she was his way to get it through her precious position. He followed greeting some other healers and nurses that he knew on the way.

Marine stopped in front of a door. He looked inside. There was a blonde man in, lying on the bed with an impassive expression. Although faint, Marine was right, the man did have an aura present. It was weird since the magical core was destroyed but it was there. He looked at Marine who nodded. He slowly opened the door and went in. He walked towards the bed. The man was breathing steadily. Reito felt bitter looking at his face. He was in pain. But it wasn't physical. He went closer and touched his forehead. He closed his eyes and entered the man's mind. He was in a dark place and he turned around himself. This was the man's mind.

_Confused, huh? Who wouldn't be in the state he is in?_

The black haired man smiled and tried to locate where the man's consciousness was. He felt a slight feeling from the left and turned there. He saw the man sitting cross leg. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was next to him. The man didn't react. Reito hesitantly tapped him on the shoulder. 'Hey' The man slowly opened his eyes. He turned and surprised stared at the man. Then his eyes widened in shock and horror.

He got up and went a step forward aggressively. 'Who are you? Why are you here?'

Reito shook his head and smiled his usual ironic smile. 'What kind of guest are you? This is my first time visiting you and this is what I get?' He turned and looked at the place. It was dark. A complete dark. Reito had expected memories to flow around. 'And I came to help you.'

Cloud taken aback by the dark haired man's answer looked at him with a look full of question. 'Help me? What do you mean?'

Reito smirked and turned to look at the blond man. 'I am a healer.' He said. 'My name is Ichihara Reito.' Cloud walked closer to him.

'You have contact with the outside world?' he asked.

Reito nodded. Cloud then ran at him and grabbed him by the shoulders. 'Is my sister all right? Have you seen her?' Reito smiled and removed Cloud's hands off him.

'I haven't met your sister in person yet, Captain Strife, but I know that she is desperately trying to help you.' He said enigmatically.

'What do you mean? Desperately?'

Reito raised his shoulder without giving an exact answer. Cloud didn't say anything. He seemed to be thinking about something.

'She had told me something when she came to see me but…' he touched his head.

'But?' Reito asked. 'You heard what she told you?'

Cloud nodded. 'It was faint but I did. But I don't remember exactly what she said.'

Reito clearly interested went closer to the blond man. 'Do you generally hear what people tell you?'

Cloud looked at him confused for a moment like he didn't understand what he was asked. After a moment though, he shook his head off. 'I don't really know what's going on usually and it is not like many talk to me. The nurses just do their job. 'Apart from Namine and…' he started. He blushed slightly and Reito saw around memories of the lion of thunder replace the dark background. 'Only those two. I could hear only those two.' He admitted.

Reito nodded in understanding. He smiled at the man with one of his rare gentle expressions. 'Ok Captain Strife one last question and I will go for today, ok?' he asked. Cloud looked at him waiting to hear the rest. 'I was informed that you spoke to that other person. Is this true?' Cloud nodded. Reito smiled. 'That's a really peculiar thing you did. It is medically impossible.'

'Why is that?' he asked.

Reito took a breath and started explaining. 'Look, your magical core is damaged and you are considered to be in a numb situation but you can comprehend with a what is going on. You are a mind flyer and you can use this ability to transfer your thoughts on others and we have this conversation. I have tried to enter another person's mind who was in the situation you are in and I was unable to do so.' He looked around. The background was again black. 'I'll be going now. I'll come back soon' he stated.

Cloud grabbed him before he was able to return to his body. 'If you see my sister, can you ask her to repeat what she said?' he asked the man. Reito looked at him and raised an eyebrow. After a moment he nodded.

'Sure.'

Reito opened his eyes and found himself in the hospital's room. The blond man was lying expressionless and pale. He closed his eyes and signed. He looked around and saw Marine waiting at the door. He got up and went to her. 'How long was I in his head?' he asked.

'For about half an hour.' She smiled at him. 'You've improved.' He simply nodded and left the room.

'I'll come again tomorrow.' He said.

'And you will tell me your thoughts about this.' She added. He turned his head to look at her. 'Tomorrow' she added.

Reito left the hospital and looked around. He started walking thinking about the encounter he had with the blond man. He felt that he could somehow come back to his senses. His sister could even be freed of the curse without being forced to turn into a killer. Like Lea did. He couldn't get her out of his mind. She was there, always there. Why did she have to be so difficult? She knew the dangers about her condition and yet she didn't stop what she was doing; living in extremes.

He suddenly felt her presence but she wasn't alone. He looked around. It was the neighborhood of her home here or maybe her family's house here. He walked towards where he felt she was, already preparing a speech about the dangers concerning her condition. But as he turned to get to the main road where the apartment was he saw her. But she was not alone. He knew she was not alone but he never imagined she would be with him. Her ex-warrior. He looked at them not bothering to hide. He was petrified. The blond man was unstable emotionally. He felt that. Lea caressed him. Seifer smiled faintly and as he was about to turn and jump on the balcony to return to the house, he changed his mind and he turned to Lea again. He moved his face closer to his and kissed her chastely. She blushed like a school girl. Reito felt so much pain at that. He knew Lea loved the man and he suspected he also respected her in a way but he never thought that their relationship was physical as well. Until now he was fine with being the shadow, having her only for one night, seeing her grow but if in the future she was to have him by her side what would his role be? She wouldn't need him as a protector anymore. She would have him. He would be a shadow and see them enjoying a happy life together. He couldn't stand that. He always believed that from all the men she met and was connected, he would be the stable relationship. Then her cousins came. Especially that Tom agitated him. There was the Keigo boy with whom she had a strong bond and Selberto too. But he was the one she had lusted. She still did. He knew that. He looked at the blond man as he jumped up. He just couldn't live with the idea that he would be just her doctor. He wanted more than that. He was with her the longest. He was the one who dedicated his life to her, how could someone who wasn't even considered human in his eyes take her away.

* * *

Keigo walked into the old mansion following Lea's instructions and quickly went downstairs to find the crystallized bodies. He had to make sure about something. Something extremely important for his sister. He went past the bodies of the other warriors slightly staring at the cross of creation. He was so different from that doctor. He couldn't really though place who he preferred more. He actually liked Reito and the fact that he was the only human being on this earth that could keep his sister in life for as long as possible were a plus for the man. He shook his head. No matter the importance of who would be his sister's boyfriend, it was more important to make sure she would stay alive out of this mess she got herself involved for a second time. And she was involved because of Seifer and her weird conscience. He reached the two crystallized bodies that were farther in the dungeon. He looked at both of them. He turned to the crystal which once held Kadaj. He took a big breath and placed his hand on the cold stone. This was going to be difficult.

* * *

Kairi reached the outskirts of the city with Sora by her side. She felt contempt after her talk with Olette. The brown haired girl was honest. It felt good to have someone be honest with her at the final days of her life. She looked at Sora who was gazing at the sky. It was late. She knew she wouldn't be able to see the end of the war. No matter how hard she tried to seem determined, she didn't believe she could compete with these monsters camouflaged in a human body. She was way too weak, her father would say. But she preferred the idea of not enough motivated. Life was very uncertain for her… she didn't have to fight for a life but for a possible future. There was no one in her life so important that she would be selfish enough to fight to keep. Zack was not enough unfortunately and she knew that Sora wouldn't be with her. The thought of not having the warrior next to her was a scary thought… a scary future. Sometimes she even thought it was scarier than death.

Suddenly she got a feeling of something approaching. She looked behind and elbowed Sora.

He nodded. 'Something is coming'. She looked at him. His widened as he realized who the intruder was. He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her away. 'We need to run. To get away as fast as possible.'

Kairi looked behind and followed him for a moment. Then she understood what was coming and how close it was. She stopped suddenly. 'No.' she said.

'What?' he asked serious.

'I'm not running. I want to face my problems.' She said and turned her back at him.

Sora looked at her and then at the destination from which the intruder was coming. 'Ok.' He answered. 'But at least let's hide, so we can ambush them. They know we are here but we can surprise them to increase our chances.' He said. Kairi thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

* * *

Olette was on her way to her house. She walked slowly recalling the conversation she had with Kairi. Axel next to her was silent. She looked at the sky. It was late afternoon and the sky had an orange color. She signed suddenly feeling very sad. Axel observed her but did not act. They finally reached her house and she took her keys from her pocket out to open the door but something made her stop. She looked at Axel and then at the door. 'I don't want to stay home tonight.' She said. 'I'll get crazy if I stay inside tonight.'

He looked at her and nodded. 'Where to then?' he asked.

She looked around thinking of various possible destinations. 'To a park' she said and started walking. He followed close to her. They walked for about twenty minutes when Olette and Axel felt the aura of Kairi and another one approaching. She looked at her red hair warrior and ran towards Kairi. The aura of the other mage was not familiar which meant she was either the Lea Lockhart or the younger one from that family. Olette hid behind a car as she saw in the distance the woman who had killed that girl in Hollow Bastion. Suddenly a rage howled within her. It was very possible that this woman had killed Aeris, her favorite cousin. She resisted the urge to just rush forward and started searching for Kairi. She quickly detected her, hidden at the opposite road. It seemed that the holy user was about to engage in a battle. She turned her gaze to the black haired woman who was talking with the blond haired warrior. As they were about to turn and leave, Sora from the roof of a short building aimed and shot at the woman with a magical attack. The warrior though sensed that and grabbed his mistress before she was hit. Quickly he jumped at where Sora was and they were not visible anymore. Then the woman looked around and started walking towards where Kairi was hidden. Olette suddenly panicked. If not for Axel who held her down, guessing somehow her thoughts, she would have run to help her. Kairi though surprised her. She wasn't at her hidden place anymore. She suddenly appeared behind the woman and grabbed her. Olette did not move. She was shocked at the sight of Kairi trying to kill another human, whoever that may be.

* * *

Kairi grabbed the woman as hard as she could. It was like an instinct inside her had woken up and told her what to do, where to hit. The woman though was strong. And trained. She knew how to fight , something which gave her a valuable advantage. Kairi may have studied magical arts but she didn't know nothing about martial ones. Whoever thought that this war was of pure magic, was wrong. You kill with your hands and the victim's blood falls up your hands.

She was pushed back and she nearly lost her balance and fell but thankfully she managed to balance. The Lockhart got up and looked at her. She eyed her from up and down. She then straighten up. 'Are you the holy user?' she asked.

Kairi raised an eyebrow and nodded. 'My name is Kairi Fon Tarlien.' She said

Tifa smirked at that. 'I see. From a family of mages too.' She looked in her eyes and a smile spread on her face. 'Nice to meet you Fon Tarlien.'

Kairi felt a tremendous fear wake within her. These smiles, her voice gave her the creeps. She looked at the woman. She was so different from the other competitors. She was nearly like the Dalmasca. No. She was like the Dalmasca. They both knew what was happening around them and they both expected things to happen the way they were. Could one like her want to end this? Kairi half wanted to tell her that there may be a choice and half wanted to not let anything slip through her lips. It was like she feared that she wouldn't want them to escape. She would inform people to sabotage them. So she said nothing.

The woman went a step forward. Kairi a step back. At this the woman smirked again. She understood just from that move that the girl at least thought that she was stronger than her. Something which was probably true. Yet in her eyes she didn't see fear. She went a step forward again and this the girl did not move. Then suddenly as they were looking in each other eyes. Kairi went a step back and vanished. The woman surprised ran at where she was. But there was nothing. It was like she had just disappeared. She looked panicked around. 'Where are you?' she asked. There was no answer. Then an image was formed behind her.

'What's your name?' she asked. The woman jumped and looked back at the mirage.

'Tifa Lockhart' she muttered as she desperately tried to locate where the original was. Another copy appeared behind her again and along with the previous one started to march towards the Seifer mistress. That though didn't stop her concentration. Kairi's holy abilities though confuse her. It was like her presence was traced in various places. And there wasn't a logical route connecting them. Tifa closed her eyes and let her body relax connecting her senses with the nature around her. She inhaled deep breaths as she let nature guide her thoughts. By this she destroyed the illusions and was able to gather and refill her energy. Suddenly her eyes shot open and she heard a scream. She paced confidently towards Kairi who was brought by some plants in an open area. She was unable to move as the plants had disabled her by tying them together. As the Lockhart was about to give the finishing blow, the plants went on fire and someone grabbed the holy user.

Olette helped Kairi untie herself. 'You okay?' she asked worried. The girl nodded inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm herself down. She closed and open her eyes many times until her breathing calmed down. She looked at Olette. 'We don't have the time now.' The brown haired girl said and helped her get up. 'We should first make sure that we'll stay alive.'

She looked at Axel. 'Can you please go help Sora and make sure that the warrior learns about the truth?' she asked her warrior and then looked at Olette to get her approval as well. In a flash Axel activated his chakrams and jumped up to the roofs.

'What do we do?' Olette asked the girl. The only response she got was a raise of the girl's shoulder. 'Great' she muttered.

Kairi looked at Olette and the at the sky again. 'Her power is earth and she knows how to fight with her body. She is skilled in both magic and body.' She looked at Olette seriously and her characteristics hardened slightly. 'I fear though that she is a mind flyer as well.'

'Mind flyer?' Olette asked not having ever heard the word. It did sound dangerous though especially connected with the mind user word.

'Mind users let's say but not able to access all the abilities of mind mistresses. Namine is a mistress, she is a simple flyer and they are both users' she quickly said. 'Okay, we need to attack her together and not let her concentrate. My illusions don't work but…'

'But my fire may be more useful.' Olette finished her sentence.

Kairi nodded in agreement. 'After all wood can be burned.' She added and got up. 'As well as human flesh.'

Olette shivered at the idea of Kairi's last wards but soon got over it and followed her.

_This is a war. In the end it is her death, my life._

* * *

Sora evaded one of Seifer's attacks. 'There is something I need to tell you.' He suddenly said. They were fighting for some time but none had said a word. At this Seifer paused.

'It is about the war.' Sora added. Suddenly Axel jumped on the roof they were on.

'Yo, folks!' he greeted them and his green eyes sparkled. Seifer looked at both of them. 'Have you told him already?' he asked the younger in appearance boy. Sore shook his head.

Seifer confused and a little curious now loosed his hold of the sword. 'Tell me what?' he asked.

Axel put his hand on his hip and approached the blond man. He comfortably hugged him from the shoulders. At this Seifer raised an eyebrow quietsionably and tensed slightly; they were after all in the middle of a battle. 'That there is a chance for this whole thing to end. For the curse to be finally lifted from us.' Seifer's eyes widened in shock as a smiled spread onto his face.

'Really?' he asked.

'Really' Sora confirmed. 'It is entirely possible. Something is hidden about this war. But first we need to tell you a story about a woman you know.'

'And about a woman you once knew.' Axel said. 'Let's start with Lady Elfie first and we'll continue with Lea Lockhart.'

Seifer looked at Axel. 'What does Lea have to do with this?' he asked and he suddenly remembered what Lea had said to him before she left during their short 'trip' to the hospital.

_Flashback_

'_Don't worry though Seifer. For every nightmare finally comes to an end. Nothing is eternal in this world… People make sure that things change.' She said and smiled appeared on his face. A kind of comforting one._

_End Flashback._

'A lot' they said.

Axel let go of him and crossed his hands on his chest. 'But first things first' he started 'you do know that Lady Elfie's wish was to free us.' He stated. Seifer nodded. 'And that it was the first wish that didn't come true.' He nodded once again.

'It has been noticed though by some of us that the seal is steadily losing its power after her wish. So it is very possible that maybe we could unseal it completely now that is weak.' Sora said.

'But even if we can't now' Axel said. 'We will be able for sure in a few years as it will have weakened even more.' He said.

'How do you know?' The cross of creation asked not letting his hopes go wild. Lea's words though ringed again in his mind. And he knew that Lea would never bluff, not with him at least.

'A mistress researched and found out about the seal. Unfortunately though we couldn't learn what she found at the place where we were sealed.' Sora said. Seifer's eyes widened at the thought that they had found out where their original bodies were.

Not wanting to lose any more time he urged them to say more. 'Why?' he asked.

'She was killed.' Sora said hesitantly and looked at Axel.

'By who?' he asked.

'Lea Lockhart.' Axel said. Seifer stared at them like an idiot.

* * *

Keigo went out of the mansion and as fast as possible run out of the forest. He walked quickly trying to concentrate so he could locate one at least of his relatives. But this seemed to be impossible as his mind was clouded by his recent discovery. He stopped and as he looked into the crowd spotted a café with a lot of people in. He quickly got inside and sat at the first seat he saw. He inhaled a lot of times until his heart started beating normally again. A waiter came.

'Excuse me, sir, are you all right?' he asked.

Keigo looked at him and smiled charmingly. 'Yes, thank you. I would like to order.' The waiter nodded and got out of his pocket a small notebook.

'What would you like?' he asked.

'A glass of water and a coffee with a bit of chocolate in it,' he said and showed the man the kind of coffee he wanted from the menu. The man nodded and left. Keigo looked at the ceiling. Suddenly he took his cell phone from his pocket and started searching for a certain number. After he found it, he called. The phone rang and after two more rings the owner picked it up.

'Hello?' a man's voice said.

'Hello Reito.' Keigo said. 'It's me, Keigo Lockhart.'

There was a silence and then Reito inhaled deeply once. 'What do you want?' he asked tiredly. It was understandable that he was clearly annoyed by this call.

'I need to talk to you… and show you some things.' He said. Reito didn't respond. 'It is about Lea.' A weird sound came from the man. 'And Kadaj. It's an emergency. Where are you?' he asked.

'I am near the forest.' Reito answered.

'Great! I am in a café at the outskirts of the city. It is I think five minutes from where you are.' He said. 'I'll wait here.'

'Wait! Wait!' Reito shouted before Keigo hang up the phone.

The younger boy took the glass of water the waiter brought him. 'What?'

'How do you know where I am?' he asked.

Keigo let out a sigh. 'I am a mind flyer Reito. As strong as you certainly, Lea says maybe even stronger.' He drank a bit of the water. 'Now the café is opposite of a big green building. In a Square with a fountain. Come as quickly as possible. Bye.' He said and hung up the phone. He sat more comfortably and looked at the entrance.

* * *

Reito closed his cell phone. He started walking towards the place where Keigo's aura was. The boy was strong he had to admit. He put his hand in his pockets and tried not to think anymore about what he saw. Lea's love life was Lea's only. He repeated that inside his head many times. He walked slowly. For an unknown reason, he didn't really feel the danger that Keigo was talking about. It was like for the time being he was numb. He didn't even care about Lea. He closed his eyes. He looked at the sky then. He remembered then suddenly what Lea had said while they were in the mountains.

_Flashback_

'_You know Reito. I believe that sky is what can express freedom the best way.' She said. Reito who was lying on the ground looked at her. She was fifteen then and he was around twenty. _

'_I agree with you' he said after a moment. She turned at him and run to lie next to him. He embraced her and as they looked in the blue sky he smiled. 'There are no borders in the sky for me. There will never be.' He said with determination._

_End Flashback_

He took a big breath and started walking quickly towards where Keigo was.

* * *

Selberto was laying on his bed while reading a magazine. Suddenly his cell phone rang. He stretched and took it from the table. He looked and saw the caller. _Keigo Lockhart._

'Hey Keigo.' Selberto said. 'Where have you been all day?' he asked.

'I have to tell you something. Tell me is Kadaj with you now?' he asked.

'No.' Selberto said. 'I am alone in mine and Tom's room. Tom is downtown.'

'Okay. Can you feel my presence?' he asked.

Selberto closed his eyes and focused. Immediately he felt the boy's aura. 'Yes. But why? You never leave yourself uncovered.'

'Come where I am. As quickly as possible. Use flash moves for I am afar.' He said.

Selberto raised an eyebrow at Keigo's words and tone. 'Hey Keigo… are you anxious or something? Close to being panicked?'

There was a silence. 'Yes.' He simply said. 'Come on. It's urgent and about my sister.' He said. ' And you say you go for a walk to Kadaj if you see him and if he asks.'

'I don't need to explain myself to a summon.' Selberto said clearly insulted. Keigo though didn't hear that for he had already hanged up the phone. Selberto sighed and put on his shoes. He grabbed his keys and ran out of the room and the hotel.

* * *

Keigo's coffee arrived as Reito entered the café. He spotted Keigo and marched towards his table. He sat in a chair and looked at him. Keigo smiled at him and relaxed slightly. 'Would you like to order something? My treat.' He asked.

Reito suddenly felt anger. 'What the hell?' he asked. 'I am not here to drink coffee.' He said as he resisted the urge to get up and leave.

Keigo shook his head. 'Calm down. We are waiting for Selberto. When he comes I'll tell you what I found out in the mansion.'

Reito looked at him and his sudden anger disappeared as suddenly as it was born. 'Mansion?' he asked. 'You mean _that _mansion?' he asked. The boy nodded. Reito looked around and then at Keigo. 'I'll have a fredo.' He said. 'Thank you.' Keigo smiled and signaled to the waiter to come.

'Can you bring us a freduchino?' he asked and smiled at the man again. He smiled back and nodded.

The two of them stayed in silence. After a few minutes Keigo looked at Reito. 'You know at first I didn't understand why Lea likes you that much… but now I can see that.' He said. The older man looked at him questionably.

'What do you mean?' he asked

'You should know that she appreciates you very much and she wants you close to her very much as well.' He said.

'I don't understand what you are talking about.'

Keigo smiled at him. 'I know about your relationship and all the things you've done together. I'm just telling you that when this whole thing is over, you shouldn't live in the shadows again.'

Reito looked at him but refused to answer. He looked at the ceiling then. 'There are others she wants close to her more than me.' He stated.

'If you are talking about who I think you are talking about, then no. You are very wrong. There is no one in her life that has shared with her as many moments and experiences as you. Both in variety and quantity.' He said. 'You are one of her treasures.' Keigo smiled at the man. 'And I'd prefer you I think from him.'

Reito looked at the man. 'Are you playing the matchmaker here?' he asked and smiled as well.

Keigo looked at the ceiling with a playful expression on his face. 'Maybe. I just want to make sure my sister will have a nice life the following years.' He said.

Reito paled. 'Sister? What do you mean?' he asked in fear. Then Selberto came. Keigo immediately hid his aura. Selberto sat next to Reito.

'So what's up?' he asked the two men. Reito was pale and Keigo was smiling happily. He looked at Reito more. Then at Keigo. 'What did you do to him Keigo?'

'Nothing' the boy defended himself. 'I just said that I support him as Lea's possible future boyfriend.'

'What?' Selberto said loudly. Some people turned to look at them.

'Why do you have someone better in mind?' Keigo asked and a laugh escaped his lips.

'No one is suitable for permanent.' Selberto immediately said. Keigo shook his head.


	20. Chapter 20

Namine sat in the living room and listened to the wind blew outside. It was a very strong wind, like Mother Nature was mourning or expressing some kind of feelings. Something was happening. Namine felt that. She picked the teacup from the table and drank a bit. She tried to relax but it seemed impossible. She was so tired. Lately sleep was unbearable… that dream… she saw it every time she closed her eyes. That figure… his words… the chilling it caused her. She shook her head. She didn't have time to waste on stupid fears and dreams. Cloud was her priority. She heard suddenly noise from her room. She didn't move. Roxas was going to sleep. It seemed that these dreams she suffered from had no effect on him. She gazed the ceiling and closed her eyes. She had to sleep… she was exhausted and she need a good sleep… a dreamless one. With that thought in mind, she closed her eyes and slept. It was like she ordered her brain to sleep and make sure that no dreams would disturb her.

She woke up by the sun that escaped from the windows. She looked at it and then closed her eyes again. It was no good… that death reaper appeared again. Only this time she wasn't so bothered by him. She just let him say the same words he always said.

Maybe this was a price to have power. A price to be paid for achieving her ambition and killing everyone that stood in her way, taking advantage of everyone the best way she could. A sad smile spread on her face. Cloud was worth it. She shouldn't complain. She stretched and got up. She went into her room to find that Roxas wasn't there. She raised an eyebrow… the last days he always stayed there. She walked in the kitchen but he wasn't there either. Suddenly she felt infuriated and started searching in the house desperately. Suddenly she heard a door close. It was from the kitchen. She ran down to find him sitting on a chair.

'Where were you?' she asked threatingly. It was clear the anger in her eyes. The doubt.

'The postman left these, so I went to pick them up.' He said and handed her some letters and a box. She took them from him and left them on the table.

She crossed her hands on her chest. 'Why didn't you ask me first?' Her tone was serious and dangerous but Roxas was unaffected. He had played that game with many and with way crueler than her. But why did it hurt that she acted like that? He didn't answer. 'I asked you a question.' She stated and sat on the other chair. Roxas with his hands crossed on his chest as well and closed eyes didn't even flinch. Namine stared at him and out of the blue she got up and slapped him. Roxas' response to this was to just turn the other cheek. At this movement Namine felt a disturbing feeling inside her. Her hand ached. It was a little difficult to breathe. She grabbed the letters and the box and left the kitchen. She ran into her room and closed the door behind her. The letters fell from her hands along with the box. She run a hand through her hair.

'What the hell am I doing?' she muttered under her breath as a huge wave guilt covered her. Then Cloud appeared in her mind, he was in the hospital pale and lifeless. She played in her mind the moment he was hit. She was striving to get Cloud back. And to do that she had to kill people… she had to be cruel to bring him back to life. So no tears escaped her eyes. There was nothing to regret. For Cloud everything would be allowed.

He did give up everything for her as well.

* * *

Kairi fell down. It hurt so much. Olette cast a spell to burn the plants and it worked. She gasped for air and she felt so thankful that she was still able to breathe. She looked at the woman who ran at Olette and punched her hard. The fire mage flew back and crashed on a wall. Despite being more in numbers they were losing. She looked at Olette who was striving to get up and Tifa who was walking towards the fallen girl. She saw the plants grabbing her and forcing her to stay still. She got up immediately and cast a shield of nullification. The plants died and Ollete started healing. The woman looked at her and then at the girl again. Kairi surprisingly quickly appeared next to Olette and they both vanished.

Tifa chuckled. 'Illusions again?' she asked out loud. 'I thought we had moved passed that.' She muttered.

* * *

Kairi caressed the girl's back and helped her get up. 'Can you walk?' she asked. Olette nodded. 'Okay listen to what we do. You and Axel escape and Sora and I cover you.' She said.

Olette looked at her frustrated. 'I can't let you die!' she protested.

'Yes you can and you will.' The red haired said. She sighed and looked at the girl. 'You have people who love you… parents who are going to miss you… friends. I have nothing.' She admitted. 'I don't mind dying to protect you. It is a meaningful death.' She said. Olette was ready to protest again but Kairi silenced her by placing her fingers on the other girl's lips. 'You will inform my family ok?' she said and handed her the keys. 'And please talk with Namine. Try to change her mind. You have more chances of success than me.' She turned but changed her mind and turned to face Olette again. She hugged the girl tightly. 'You live' she whispered and ran away from her to engage the Lockhart in battle. Olette stood petrified there and after a moment she felt Axel next to her.

'We must go.' He said.

'But Kairi…' she started protesting again.

Axel hugged her. 'Respect her wish.' He whispered and he jumped on a roof with her on his arms.

* * *

Reito was walking with Selberto. All the information Keigo told them was disturbing. Reito though suspected that Lea was aware of everything he revealed. She was always so careful about everything she did. She didn't hesitate to risk but she always had a plan B. Selberto next to him though seemed more anxious. He eyed him from up and down. 'Hey are you all right?'

Selberto stopped and looked at him with a strange expression, one that showed he was surprised at his words. He nodded after a moment and resumed walking.

'You know she is aware of this for sure. Lea would never have taken a chance like that.' Reito said in an attempt to calm the man. 'She certainly has a Plan B in case something goes wrong.'

Selberto looked down and sighed. He looked at the other man. 'I hope so.' He said. 'But I just hope that this whole mess will end with her at least alive.'

Reito grabbed him by the elbow. 'What do you mean?' he asked worried.

Selberto looked at him and run a hand through his hair. 'I fear that this will end with many dead people.' He said and continued. 'Go search for Mai, Tom or Lea to the east part of the city. Try to call them as well. We need to gather.' He said and turned to the right road and Reito continued to the left.

* * *

Olette opened the apartment. She went inside the house. She looked at it. It was simple and not at all the way she had imagined Kairi's house to be. She closed the door and went to the living room searching for the phone. She found it near the window. She sat on a chair. She took out of her pocket the paper Kairi gave her and looked at it. There was only one number one. She picked the phone hesitantly and dialed the number. There was a noise.

'Hello. Fon Tarlien Residence, what can I do for you?' a woman asked.

Olette took a big breath. 'I would like to talk to the head of the family.' She said.

'What for?' The woman asked.

'His youngest daughter.' Olette responded with clenched teeth as she remembered what Kairi had told her.

_I have nothing… no parents who are going to miss me_

'Like I do' she muttered ironically as she waited for the woman to connect her with Kairi's father.

'Kairi?' a man asked hesitantly.

'No sir.' Olette answered. 'I am afraid there is no Kairi anymore.' She said without emotion.

'What?' The man asked terrified.

Olette smirked at that. Fear… what did he have to fear? 'She is dead' Olette said.

'Did you kill her?' he asked with anger.

Olette didn't answer immediately. 'No.' she finally said. 'But I was the last one who saw her before her fight with the other mistress.'

'Who are you?' he asked.

'A fellow mistress. Kairi asked me to inform you about her death.'

'Where is her body? I want her to come here with her family.' He said.

'I am sure the police or someone for that matter will inform you.' He said. She was ready to close the phone but the man stopped her.

'Wait! Did she say anything before she…?' he didn't finish the sentence but it seemed he expected an answer.

Olette sighed. 'Yes… She said that she had nothing. No one loved her and no one would miss her, that's why she preferred to die protecting me than have both of us die.' There was a pause. 'She felt this would be the most meaningful death she could have.' Again the man said nothing. 'Tell Zack that the spare keys he gave her will be in her apartment along with her stuff. Goodbye.' She said and hanged up the phone.

She looked again the room and after letting a sigh she stepped out. Axel was waiting at the entrance. She started walking and he followed. As she paced towards her house she felt hot liquid run down her face. Kairi's image would hunt her down for a long time and she would always have to live with the burden of her death. Even if it was not entirely hers.

* * *

Reito walked trying to locate Tom or Mai. He didn't want to talk to find Lea. He preferred to let Keigo or that Selberto deal with her. Keigo's words rang in his head. He shook his head. He and Lea didn't have a common future. He should accept that and stop chasing after her. He walked again when his cell rang. Without looking who was calling, he picked it up.

'Hello?' he asked.

'Hey Ichihara.' Tom Lockhart said with his typical cocky tone.

Reito took a big breath. 'Hey. Where are you?' he asked impatiently.

There was a pause. 'I am close to the hotel.' Tom said. 'Why do you ask?'

Reito looked around. He was close to the square. 'Look… meet me at the square. There is something I must tell you. If you know where Mai is, tell her to come too.' He said and closed the phone as he paced towards the square.

* * *

Tom closed his cell phone and closed his eyes boiling in anger. Who did he think he was, to give him orders? He was tempted not to go but there was indeed worry in his voice. And Tom was always very careful and always took advantage of everything he found. It was certain that trouble was coming and he wouldn't let himself be unprepared. After all he was famous for his surviving skills. Intrigue and double dealing were necessary in the criminal world and he had survived for years in it for no one played them better than him. He took his cell phone out and closed his eyes. He dialed Mai's number and called. But no one answered.

'Come on!' He said and called again. But the result was the same. He put it into his pocket again and turned to leave. He walked towards the arranged place. He saw at the center Reito waiting. He really was anxious. He marched to him and stood silent behind him. Reito turned and looked at him.

'You came.' He said.

Tom raised an eyebrow and smirked. 'I hope though I won't lose my time.' He said back. 'Let's go seat in one of those cafés and there you can tell me about that danger you are talking about.' Reito nodded and followed him. They entered the café and sat.

'Kadaj and Lea are not connected by a contract of life and death.' He blurted out. Tom looked at him and after a moment nodded.

'Does Lea know?' he asked him. His face and expression were emotionless. Tom after all was the one who knew how to conceal his emotions better than all the others from Lea's team, Lea included.

Reito nodded. 'She must know. After all Lea was the one who offered the contract. And we both know the she does things.'

Tom remained as emotionless as he was before. Then a waiter came to take their order. After finishing with that, Tom looked at Reito like he was searching for something on him. 'How do you know that?' he blurted out.

Reito let out a sigh and relaxed. 'Keigo found out as he went to the place where they are sealed.' He said. 'It is true. You trust Keigo's abilities after all.' He added. He knew that if he was the one who had found out, Tome would question the outcome of the search and he would want to go verify it himself.

Tom looked at him and allowed on his face an expression of irony and smirked. 'Of course I do.' He agreed for he knew what Reito thought about him. 'Keigo is special unlike others.' He said relaxed. Their order came with the same waiter. Reito paid the boy and when they were alone again he looked at Tom.

'I know you don't trust me as far as it concerns my abilities.' He said with difficulty. He didn't like to lower himself in front of anyone. 'But… you shouldn't question my devotion to Lea. I know her more than all of you.'

Tom's face for a moment had an angry expression but it has gone as quickly as it had appeared on his face. He smirked. 'Don't worry… I know you are Lea's lapdog.' He said and looked at the man with an ironic expression. Reito clenched his fists but said nothing. He understood enough about that Lockhart to see that everything he said would return to him as an insult. But he knew that deep down Tom was green with envy. He, Reito, was a lot closer to Lea than him. He was maybe the one more distant from her team. He took a sip of his second coffee that day. How he was going to sleep after that was beyond him.

* * *

The next day Olette woke up with a terrible head ache. She sat up and looked at the clock. It was 8 PM. Very early for her. How she managed to sleep was beyond her. She had seen the murder of someone she liked and kind of respected. She called her relatives to inform them about her death and she just went home to sleep. She looked out of the window. Suddenly a wave of pessimism rush over her. She felt hot liquid ran down her face. She was going to die. There was no way she could escape this nightmare. Not because she just couldn't but because she suddenly realized she didn't want that. It wasn't that she hadn't had dreams or that she wouldn't have people to miss. She also knew that Hayner and Pence would miss her but… The image of Kairi being killed, the image of Tifa with that cruel smile came into her mind. She didn't want to become like that woman. She couldn't kill. She couldn't kill others who were as helpless as her. She would be very unhappy if she lived with such burdens. And the option of everyone living and defeating the curse was just… too good to be true. She looked at her hands. She imagined them red and not from her blood. If becoming the winner meant to destroy lives and not only of the mage but of all the people connected to that mage, she kind of liked the idea of die fighting. That way she wouldn't have to live in guilt. She wouldn't have to stand next to Hayner and lie and pretend to be the good girl. Hayner!

That thought suddenly made her get to her feet. She had to see Hayner one more time. Give him the letter herself now. This was what she had to do. She had to talk to him. He was after all the closest person to her. A tad closer than Pence. She had to say goodbye, to hug him once again.

In ten minutes she was ready. She looked at the things she had taken from Kairi's house. The envelope she had given her. Axel touched her shoulder. 'You okay?' he asked.

She looked at him and smiled. 'Not really but it's okay.' She said to him in a fake happy voice. So fake that it was sad.

He hesitated for a moment. This was clearly not the way Olette usually was. 'Okay. Are we going anywhere?' he asked.

She nodded. 'To Hayner's.' she said. She brushed her hair a little and then looked at him. 'I want you to wait outside. I want to talk to him alone.' She said. 'And when I finish I want to go to Namine's house.' She said. Axel silently with his look asked her the reason of the second visit. 'To inform her of Kairi's death.'

'Are you sure that's the only reason?' he asked her with a serious tone that was so unlike him.

'No' she admitted. 'But it's okay.'

* * *

Olette ringed the bell of Hayner's home. It was 8 45 AM. She was nearly sure that Hayner was still sleeping but his dad had already left for work and his mom was for sure awake. The door opened after a moment and his mom greeted her.

'Hey Olette!' she said cheerfully and hugged her. 'Where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you for weeks.'

'Sorry.' She answered and rubbed her the back of her head with her left hand. 'Is Hayner still sleeping?' she asked.

'Yes. Wait I'll wake him up. Come in.' she said with her usual gentle expression.

Olette grabbed her by her hand and smiled. 'No, it's okay. I'll do it.' She said and paced towards Hayner's room. She entered and saw him sleeping soundly hugging his pillow as he usually did since childhood. She went closed and sat on the floor next to his bed. She softly touched his shoulder. 'Hayner.' She said and shook him softly. He murmured something but just buried his face into his pillow even more. She run her hand on his shoulders and sat next to him. She shook him again, stronger this time. 'Hayner.' She said louder. This time he opened and closed his eyes. He took a big breath and rolled on his back. Then looked at her again and his eyes shot open.

'Olette.' He said and fell over her and hugged her tightly. 'Are you okay?' he asked as he let go of her.

She looked at him and smiled. 'No, not really but it's okay.' She said and hugged him again. 'I wanted to see you. There is something I want to give you.' She whispered to him still hugging him.

'Okay' he said strangely calmly. 'What is it?' She backed away and took out of her bag the envelope. She handed it to him. He looked at her questioningly.

'Read it please after I leave.' She said. 'And don't you dare put it down before you finish.' She said strictly. He looked at her confused but from her serious tone he understood this was no joke and no laughing matter. He nodded. She went closer to him and hugged him once again. 'I'll be going now.' She said.

'What? Why?' He asked and pulled her on the bed. 'You just came.'

She got up and fixed her clothes. 'Sorry Hayner.' She said and turned her head. 'I've got something to do.' She paused for a moment as she tried to hold her tears. She succeeded with great difficulty. 'Next time I'll stay longer, okay?'

Hayner didn't speak and she opened the door. As she closed it she heard his answer. 'Make sure to stay longer next time.' She closed the door and marched nearly run to the door. She got out and still managed to hold her tears. This was so much more difficult that she thought. She wanted to look back but didn't let herself do that for she feared the regret she would feel and the hesitation that regret would cause.

'I'm sorry Hayner.' She murmured and ran to Axel. The green eyed man looked at her but didn't say anything, somehow sensing that she didn't want him to talk. She took a big breath and gained control of her breathing and facial expressions. She looked at him and smiled. 'Let's go!' she said.

* * *

The doorbell rang and Roxas got up to answer it. He saw Namine get out of her room and the two looked at each other for a moment. Then Namine crossed her hands on her chest and smirked. Roxas just paced towards the door and opened. He saw Olette and Axel.

'Hello Roxas.' Olette said seriously and smiled. 'Is Namine here?' she asked. Roxas nodded and made way for them to enter. Olette walked first and Axel followed. The blond warrior looked at the red haired and despite saying nothing they gave to each other a warning; Axel that they were not her for a good reason and Roxas that the situation had gotten worse.

'Mistress.' Roxas called and Namine went into the hall. She looked curiously at Olette attempting to hide her surprise and to fake a happy behavior. Olette though didn't buy it. She was serious and that was a look Namine had never seen on the girl's face.

'May I talk to you?' the brown haired girl asked with a serious and slightly hesitating tone. Namine noticing that nodded. They walked into the living room in silence. The girls sat opposite to one another and the two warriors stood next to their mistresses' each one respectively. 'I am afraid what I am going to tell you is not pleasing.' Oletted broke the silence by blurting this out.

Namine sat back at her seat and smiled at Olette. 'I'm used to bad news these days she said.'

Olette glanced at her and then looked out of the window. 'Kairi is dead.' She said. Namine didn't react to this and a moment of silence ruled in the room.

Finally this time Namine broke the silence with a question. 'Did you kill her?'

Olette froze at that question but soon overcame that and looked Namine in the eyes. The blond girl looked back into the green eyed mage. 'No.' she finally answered. 'But I was with her when she was killed. We were fighting together.'

'Who?'

Olette expected that question. It was the most logical one after all. 'Lockhart.' She said and she saw Namine's face turn pale. 'But not the one everyone is afraid of. The other one, the young one. The new.' She clarified slowly. Her voice was indifferent and just that to Roxas' ears made it very sad. He looked at the fire mistress. The girl, nearly a woman, was so sad.

Namine soon relaxed and closed her eyes tiredly. 'Is she strong?' she asked.

Olette didn't answer immediately. 'She is skilled and trained. Certainly a good and dangerous opponent and as strong as Dalmasca.' She paused for a moment and looked away from the girl till her gaze fell on the blond warrior. 'But she is a lot cleverer than her. She is very good at traps and at taking advantage of everything around her.' She added. 'And Axel said one more thing.'

Namine opened her eyes and waited for Olette to continue but the girl didn't say anything. 'What?'

'She is a mind flyer.' He said. Roxas let out a slight laugh. Namine looked at him coldly and turned her gaze to Axel again.

'What does that mean?' she asked Axel and Olette.

'Mind users are kind of divided in two categories. Mind flyers and mind mistresses. Most are usually women. The people that have been found to have the abilities of a mind master are all women.'

'What is the difference between these two?' Namine asked interested.

'Mind mistresses have the ability to awake all the abilities of the mind while mind flyers have some specific powers.' He said. 'However mind flyers are considered a little better than mind mistresses in battle mostly because their mentality is stable and not as easily hurt as one of a mind mistress. And they live a lot longer.'

Namine remembered her fight with Ashe. It was true that she had lost control of herself then. It was not a nice memory as the image of Cloud and he getting hurt ran through her mind immediately. Not that it ever really left but anyway.

'That was what I wanted to tell you.' Olette said and got up. Namine got up after a moment and the two girls looked at each other. Olette started walking towards the door but stopped and turned to look one more time at Namine. 'Whatever happens in the future' she said. 'Don't you dare approach Hayner or Pence.' She threatened. 'If you do, 'I'll come back from the dead to hurt you.'

Namine taken aback from the sudden threat and that so different Olette she saw that day didn't say anything. Olette turned her back and left. Axel followed and once again shared a quick but meaningful look with Roxas. The two blonds heard the door closing. Namine looked at Roxas who just went and sat on the sofa. She clenched her fist and went into her bedroom.

* * *

Olette closed her eyes and walked out of the Strife house. Axel silently followed her as she turned and started walking through the main street. Kairi was unfortunately right; Namine was not an ally anymore. And they certainly weren't friends, they had never been. It was her fault thinking they had started a more friendly relationship. She opened her eyes in alert as she suddenly sensed a familiar aura. Axel immediately released his chackrams but before he could react he was pushed away by Squall.

'Axel!' Olette yelled at him but before she could turn she felt strong hands grab her neck. She started feeling dizzy as she could not inhale oxygen and her lungs asked for it. She struggled to free herself and in a desperate attempt she let herself give in to her magic and her whole body for a moment went on fire. Ashe startled for a moment let go and went a step back so she wouldn't be burned. The younger girl returned to normal and breathed as deep as she could. Ashe though didn't waste time and attacked again. Olette suddenly terrified raised a shield of fire and before Ashe could react she run away. She didn't want to fight. Not now, not ever. Ashe appeared in front of her and she yelled out of surprise and fear. She realized suddenly though she didn't want to die. She was afraid… so afraid. Her whole life flashed in her eyes. She had so many nice memories. She had problems but her life didn't suck. Had never sucked. She punched Ashe suddenly and fiercely. And then she kicked her as hard as she could. The woman now on her knees on the floor grabbed Olette's one leg and bit it with all her might. The girl screamed in pain and suddenly fell down as Ashe pulled her and kicked her other leg. Then in a flash of minute Ashe still holding the girls let twisted it. Olette let another scream and tried to move her leg. Seeing that even trying to move it hurts she bits her lip in anxiety and feels again Ashe approach her with her hands ready to grab her again. As she looked at the woman words she had never intended to say escaped her lips.

'Your nemesis, Lockhart, is way stronger than you.' She said. This made Ashe have a look of confusion and then of bereavement. She didn't hesitate and grabbed the girl and pushed her on the ground. She squeezed her neck as her body trembled in reflex and fought desperately to free herself. Then she suddenly stopped moving but Ashe didn't let go of her neck.

'It's over.' Squall said. She let go of the girl whose neck was bruised by her hands. Her eyes were left with the expression of panic. Suddenly as she got up, she felt someone approaching. She looked behind to find the blond mind user with her warrior behind her standing there and looking at her. Her face did not reveal any of her feelings or thoughts. Ashe moved so Namine would see Olette lying dead on the ground. Ashe kept looking on the girl's face trying to see a response to that sight. The girl spared a glance and then looked again at Ashe. Her eyes did not reveal any emotion, any though. Even Olette's dead eyes seemed more emotional than hers.

'You're late this time' she said trying to provoke her. Trying to have a reaction. 'She is dead.' The girl didn't respond neither looked again at the fallen girl. Suddenly she closed her eyes and looked at her left.

'Come out! We are the last ones standings after all' she said to someone and then a black haired woman appeared with a blond muscular and tall man behind her. Squall's eyes widened for a second seeing the extreme resemblance of this Lockhart and of Lea Lockhart. But what seemed the worst was that Seifer was with that Lockhart as calm as with the previous one. Could she be as unique as the previous one? He looked at the blond girl. If she was also unique then things may be difficult for Namine and as a consequence for Cloud. At the thought of Cloud he looked guilty at Seifer. The blond man paid him no attention.

'Hello Ashe!' Tifa said with an ironic smile. She looked at the girl on the floor and smirked. 'Aww! I wanted to kill that girl, like I killed the other one.' She sighed and looked at Namine. 'You must be the mind user.' She said and her tone expressed a kind of respect and if possible admiration.

'And you must be the Lockhart.' Namine answered and eyed the woman carefully. Roxas from behind her was somewhat tense. The idea of Lea was making him nervous and the woman resembled her way too much for his likings.

'Tifa Lockhart.' She said.

'Namine Strife' the girl said. She looked at Olette and then at Tifa. 'Olette said you are very strong.'

Tifa didn't answer at that. She just kept looking at the girl and then turned her gaze to the Dalmasca. 'You know Dalmasca I feel that teaming up with you is the worst insult.' She said. Namine raised an eyebrow at this. Ashe looked at Tifa strangely, then suddenly she smiled and looked at Namine.

'I agree; teaming up with you is the worst insult but' she turned to Tifa who came and stood next to her. 'allowing a stranger to claim the prize feels a little worse.'

'Of course. The prize is to be shared among out two families.' She said. 'No matter how strong a mind user is, she is inexperienced and alone.'

Namine laughed at this. 'So know you team up against me?' she asked Ashe. She shook her head. Roxas then suddenly attacked Squall who jumped away and lead Roxas with him. Seifer looked at Tifa who nodded and followed. He kind of wanted to fight this time, if only to discuss with Roxas about what the others had told him. But he also didn't want to have a confrontation with Squall. Namine looked at Ashe. 'You taunted me and Olette for teaming up against you.' She sighed and looked at Tifa. Then in a flash she was behind Ashe and Tifa found herself paralyzed. Namine grabbed Ashe's neck kicked her legs. The two females fell on the floor and Ashe stayed there without resisting. 'You know… I am incredibly angry for what you did to my brother.' She said softly and in her eyes anger was visible. 'I was really looking forward to killing you in the worst possible way. And I had a lot of ideas about how I could do this. But…' she looked at Tifa who was frozen and couldn't control her body. 'Unfortunately I'm short in time as she is also skilled in mind abilities.' Ashe suddenly had a look of panic as she slowly fainted and after a moment stopped breathing. Tifa suddenly broke Namine's control and looked at her.

'I underestimated you.' She said.

'Oh believe me… the one you truly have underestimated is not me.' She said. 'Let's not fight today. The loss of two mages is enough for today.' She proposed with a smirk. Tifa looked at her suspiciously. 'Let's have a chat instead.'

'What do you mean? I underestimated who?' she asked. 'There is no one else left.' She stated but it was clear that Namine's words had somehow panicked her.

Namine nodded and paced towards the woman who reflexively went a step back. 'True… if things were normal, there would be no one else left but… your auntie decided otherwise.' She said and focused on the woman's face. The woman in a few minutes was terrified.

'My aunt? How could she do this? She has already participated once.' The woman reasoned the girl. She shook her head and attempted to regain her calm. 'You are bluffing.' She said as a state of fact.

'I wish.' Namine said. 'But she is participating again… with the eleventh warrior.' She said. Tifa looked at her like she was crazy. 'I don't know details as the one who researched is dead, killed by Lea.' She said and walked to Tifa. 'She confirmed it though. She found me.' She said with irony in her voice. She was taunting her but she wasn't bluffing.

'The eleventh warrior is a legend… a tale. No way.' She muttered.

'There is no smoke without fire. Those legends were based on something.' She said. 'Roxas' she called and the blond boy appeared next to her. 'We are going back.' They turned to leave but Namine looked back at the fallen woman. 'Go and find her.' She said. She glanced at the two bodies. 'And do something about them as well. They will pollute the reputation of our neighborhood.'

* * *

Seifer carried Tifa at their house. Again she was in the verge of hysteria. He didn't blame her. Lea was an enemy no one was lucky to have and for Tifa it was worse. She knew the woman personally and in combination with her reputation the idea seemed even uglier. He placed her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. He slowly exited the room and closed the door. He went into his bedroom and half expected Lea to be there. Like that she would be able to give him explanations about everything. He lay and closed his eyes. The fight wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Neither as long.

_Flashback_

_Roxas landed on a balcony and__ looked at Squall. 'I have something to tell you but I want Seifer to be here before I start.' _

'_I already know what you want to say.' Seifer said as he calmly and slowly walked closer to the two men. Roxas jumped down and landed next to Squall. Seifer keeping a safe distance from both of them leaned at a wall. Squall looked at Seifer. _

'_There is high chance that the seal can be reversed.' He blurted out. Squall's eyed widened at the news. He looked at Seifer who had a straight face. _

'_How?' he asked enthusiastically. A wide smile spread on his face._

_Roxas looked at Seifer and then at Squall hesitantly. 'For this to happen though, it means that there will be no winner in this war. There will never again be a war, a winner or a prize to be won.' He said and looked seriously at Squall whose enthusiasm suddenly faded. Seifer looked at Squall and somehow he knew that the reason for this sadness was that blond man. _

'_Can't we wait for another decade?' he asked._

'_No.' Seifer said. The two men looked at him. _

'_Why not?' Squall asked. _

'_Things will not be the same next decade.' He said and didn't say anything else. He truly believed that, apart from the jealously he felt, for he was certain Lea was helping them and in ten years Lea would be dead. Then suddenly Squall started vanishing. Seifer resisted the urge to go to him. He quickly vanished completely. _

_Roxas looked at Seifer. 'Is there something you want to tell me?' he asked the older man._

_Seifer didn't answer the man just looked at the sky. And refused to let the sadness he felt take over._

_End Flashback_

* * *

Namine returned at her housed and without saying anything to Roxas she went into her room. She sat on her bed and sighed. The image of Olette on the floor, her dead eyes, hunted her from the moment she saw her. And the thought that she didn't even take care of her body, that she just left tears gathered in her eyes and she let them fall as she sobbed silently. The poor girl…

She lay on her bed and hugged her knees. She killed a human and a human who hated her she hated. The one responsible for Cloud's condition. Yet the revenge made her feel even worse. Nothing was achieved.

No something was achieved. She was a step closer to her goal, to win the prize, to heal her brother. She had informed Tifa about that aunt of hers. Now the only thing left was to make sure that Lea would be out of her way. And she knew that a battle like that would be difficult.

Somehow deep inside beneath the sadness she felt content with Olette dead. She didn't have to kill her and "betray" her. She turned on her left. The thought of the Olette she knew all her life passed her mind. She was so happy and social and always so nice to Namine. Like somehow she understood why she chose to be a loner. They even were close to friends in elementary but after her parents' accident, Namine changed and withdrew from the rest of her class. Yuki was the only one who somehow managed not to be pushed away. Yet despite Olette's cheerfulness, she had the sense that the girl had problems. But she seemed to have friends who somehow made those problems fly away. Friends… those two boys. One was a fat boy named…. Pencil? No… it was something like that and the other was the one who bothered her. Hayner. She remembered the time when Roxas had played as her boyfriend to get away from him. She smiled at the memory but immediately shook her head. She looked at the clock it was 11 AM.

* * *

Namine walked in the town and looked around for a certain dark blond boy. She decided to inform him about Olette. She felt that if things were different and she was the one who died, she would like someone to inform Cloud about that. Of course she didn't know how much Hayner knew about Olette. Or Namine. Because she would have to expose herself in order to fully explain. She wasn't sure if she would explain everything. Roxas next to her just followed. Suddenly Namine saw the boy sitting on top of the twilight town next to the big Clock. She ran at the building to find him.

* * *

And that's it. I have not written anything for this story for the past year and I doubt I will ever continue it so... this is the last chapter. I will write a small paragraph thing about how the story would end... it's not much since this story was very close to its end but I am not interested in finsihing it.

So... thanks to everyone that read the story. I hope these three new chapters are a good goodbye reading. XD

Edelin


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